A Ranma by any Other Name
by Night Hunter MGS
Summary: For every moment, every action, there are a million "what if's". This explores some of the "what if's" in the life of one Ranma Saotome, the Avatar of Chaos, and the people who are part of his life.
1. Story 1: The Hunter

**A Ranma by any Other Name**

"For a rose by any other name smells just as sweet." -William Shakespere

Author notes: This is just a series of one-shots, spamfics, and omakes that I occasionally get in my head. Some are funny, some are sad, while others are dark, dramatic, action packed, or just plain weird. There's no rhyme or reason, so if you feel like a quick chuckle or a brief sob, get on board. One other note, this is the first fic that I'm posting online. Comments and criticisms are appreciated, flamers however will be hunted down and put down like the rabid dogs that they are. Thank you, that is all.

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and all of it's characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Other series and their characters belong to their respective owners. I own nothing, not even the clothes on my back, so for God's sake don't sue me! Original characters and the stories do belong to me, and aren't to be used without my permission.

Acknowledgements: This fic is dedicated to kaleskid, who got me hopelessly addicted to anime; my folks, who encouraged me to read and write and haven't disowned me over my anime collection yet; my little sister, who puts the fear of God into me so I get off my arse every so often and actually write; Hung Nyguyen a.k.a. Animeaddiction, who showed me that fanfiction didn't have to be restricted by the original creator's ideas; and metroanime, Kami of chaos, cloud dreamer, and all of the others who've inspired me in one way or another. Now on with the show!

Story 1: The Hunter

The boy slowly trudged through the deep snow banks. As he walked, he thought how it was odd that white colored bears would be in Kyoto. But it was no matter, he would ignore all obstacles and find his quarry! His honor would be avenged, and the coward who had fled from him would be put in his place!

"RANMA SAOTOME, I WILL FIND YOU!"

So screaming to the wind, Ryouga began his seemingly endless journey anew.

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Good Eye watched the prey in puzzlement. He knew that prey was scare on this part of the planet, but had decided to come here on his Hunt in order to let the elements themselves challenge him. It was good that he had too; the small outpost and native village belonging to the dominant species of this planet, humans they were called, had been far too easy. He had six spines from the crew of the research station, and thirteen skulls of the best warriors the native tribe had to offer. Despite the harsh winds, biting cold, lack of cover, his invisibility fields being rendered useless from the falling snow, and his footprints showing clearly in the snowdrifts, the hunt had been too easy for his tastes, and he was preparing to return to his ship when the razor sharp vision which had earned him his name picked out a dot on the horizon, a dot which he discovered to be a lone human.

The Hunter couldn't figure out what the prey was doing out in the brutal wilds by itself, and on foot no less! The small group of humans from the outpost had used treaded vehicles to rapidly cross the tundra, and the natives had employed strange devices on their feet and sleds pulled by trained canines, but neither ventured far from their settlements on foot and never by themselves! And the human wasn't even dressed the same way as the locals were! They bundled themselves with thick animal furs and warm synthetic fabrics to shield themselves from the biting cold which threatened to freeze even his body into a solid hunk of ice, but this human didn't even so much as shiver despite his thin garments! Was this being insane, or the sort of hunt that he'd been searching for?

His decision was made for him as the human turned it's face into the wind, towards his direction, and screamed out in what could only be a war cry. Impossible, these creatures didn't have developed enough senses for the human to have caught his scent! So how did he discover that he was being watched? Without another thought, the Hunter flipped the energy cannon mounted on it's shoulder into position, aimed, and fired a beam of brilliant light straight into it's target's chest.

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Ryouga's senses, honed by countless dangerous encounters across the globe, warned him of the danger just as the beam impacted with his chest, actually managing to push him back several feet but not dropping him to the snowy ground. Gingerly he felt his skin through the neatly burned hole in his shirt, confirming the blistering of the fist sized patch of burned skin located right over his sternum. Alerted to the danger, he easily dodged the next blast, pinpointing the location of his assailant and blindy throwing a handful of bandanna shuriken towards his unseen enemy before charging forward to confront his foe.

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Sparks mingled with greenish blood as Good Eye clutched his shoulder. It was impossible, it couldn't be happening, but somehow it was. The prey survived his attack with little damage, dodged the second attack, and despite appearing to be unarmed sent several projectiles similar to his own kind's throwing disks flying in his direction, destroying his cannon and severely injuring his shoulder. And now the prey was rushing forward to meet him in close combat! Throwing away the now useless weapon, he pulled a halbred with a wicked blade on it's end off of his back, and roared as he leapt over the snowbank to meet his prey face to face.

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Ryouga nearly stopped in his tracks when he heard the animalistic roar and saw an armored form that couldn't possibly belong to a normal human being, but there was an enemy before him and he charged forward to meet it. The weapon the figure held whirled in a circle above it's head before dipping down, scoring several cuts along Ryouga's already wounded torso. Screaming in pain, rage, and battle lust, the martial artist pulled his umbrella from his back and swung with strength and precision, breaking the staff of the weapon in two and shattering the blade as the heavy weapon pounded against it's dull edge. Before he even completed his swing and the shards of metal hit the now bloody snow, the figure dropped it's broken staff and lashed out with a pair of blades that popped out from a guantlet on it's wrist, slicing the bamboo shaft of Ryouga's umbrella in two and sending the weighted head spinning off into the distance. Not even pausing from the sudden change in weight, Ryouga continued the swing of his arm, smashing his fist into the armored face plate and shattering it as he pulled his belt away with his other hand and used it's now firm and razored edge to cut off his opponent's gauntlet, taking the lower part of it's arm with it. As the severed arm dropped to the ground and the broken face plate fell away, Ryouga recoiled in horror at the first sight of his opponent's face.

Tusks jutted out from it's misshapen, tooth lined mouth. A high, bony forehead jutted above it's beady eyes, and it's skin was a leathery, mottled brown and yellowish-green. So stunned was the boy, who thought that he'd seen everything in his many travels, that he didn't notice the remaining arm rush up until the bony fist hit him precisely in the temple, sending him spiraling into unconsciousness.

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Good Eye cradled the stump of his arm as he looked down at the prey... no, at the Warrior lying before him. The human had not only exceeded the limits of it's species by leaps and bounds, it had even surpassed most of Good Eye's kind. Good Eye was a veteran Hunter and Warrior, undefeated both on the hunting field and in the Honor Circle. This human had hurt him, nearly beaten him, a feat none of his kin could claim. He eyed the human's neck as his finger played across the knife at his side. No, though he'd value the trophy greatly, he would not dishonor himself or such a worthy fighter by such an act. Reaching down with his one arm, he slung the human over his shoulder and strode away towards his ship.

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Two Terran years later...

Short Fang was crouched upon the rooftop, unseen by those below even without his invisibility field activated. Behind him, four figures armored in the same manner as himself watched his every motion carefully, respect evident in their gaze. Quickly Short Fang turned to face his team, and they bowed before their Hunt leader as his eyes swept across them, going from left to right. First, there was Squash Head. He'd formerly been called Blood Stripe for the red colored stripe running across his chest, but he'd challenged Short Fang to a fight in the Circle of Honor shortly after the new comer's arrival, a fight that Short Fang had won by shattering his opponent's skull with a single punch, earning the Predator his new name and earning Short Fang his respect and friendship. Next was Shorty, who'd quickly become friends with Short Fang since they were both small by Predator standards. After him was the only female in their group, Silver, a silvery colored Predator who'd broken the traditional taboos concerning females and became a Hunter, earning her place among the other Hunters after she brought back the head of a gigantic Zervian Wargbeetle. Like Shorty she'd quickly bonded with Short Fang since neither of them fit inside of the normal standards for Hunters, and recently she'd expressed a desire to become Short Fang's mate. And finally was the oldest, most honored Hunter aside from the Hunt leader himself, Bug Stomper, one of the honored few Predators who were named based on their accomplishments rather than their physical attributes and appearance. More than any other Predator alive, he was an expert on the Hunters favorite prey, the Bugs, black, humanoid creatures with an exo-skeleton capable of withstanding the rigors of open space, acid blood, lightning reflexes, and a strict hive mentality. He'd gone on and survived over thirty Bug Hunts, and his walls were crammed full with over eighty-seven Bug heads, including the heads of three Queens. It was on the last such Hunt, one year ago, that Short Fang earned his loyalty and friendship. The two of them had managed to breach the hive and had cornered the Queen, who managed to trick Bug Stomper and had him at her mercy, before Short Fang ripped off it's head. Normally, to have your life saved is the ultimate dishonor, for every Predator longs to die gloriously on the Hunt, but in this case Short Fang begged forgiveness for his actions, promising not to tell the rest of their tribe and offering Bug Stomper the prized trophy which rightfully belonged to him. Ever since that day, Bug Stomper had acted as both subordinate and mentor to Short Fang, although only the two of them knew the reason why.

Short Fang regarded these four, his closest friends, the people he Hunted beside and trusted his life with. Normally no words were needed between them on a Hunt, but this time was special. This Hunt was about their most sacred value, honor. A series of growls, grunts, and clicks emanated from beneath the leader's mask.

You all know my story, of how Good Eye found me, took me as his apprentice, and taught me to become a Hunter. When he found me and brought me into the tribe, I was already on a Hunt, a Hunt for a person who beat me in many fights before I challenged him to an Honor Match and he left before we had the fight.

Angered growls and snarls met this statement. Running away from an Honor Match was considered to be an unforgivable crime in their culture. Short Fang raised a hand, silencing their outburst.

Back then, I was much like I was when I first came into the tribe, before I was taught the art of tracking. I can admit now that it was my fault that the match never took place, but despite that I must finish what I started, or my honor shall forever be tainted. The Hunt has led me here, to my prey, and we will finish this!

As one the five Hunters roared into the night sky, declaring to all the world that they were here and that the Hunt had begun.

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Ranma cursed to himself as he trudged along the top of the fence. For the past two months, his life had been a living hell, and he wasn't even counting the curse anymore. First his idiot old man engaged him to a tomboy who seemed to share Genma's philosophy of "showing affection through pain", then that moron Kuno develops a crush on his girl side, then Shampoo shows up looking to kill his female form but winds up married to him after learning he was really a boy, the old ghoul comes to Nerima to help Shampoo claim Ranma as a husband, Mousse came to kill him for "stealing Shampoo", the old freak gets out of his imprisonment and moves into the Tendo home, and finally his old friend Ucchan shows up looking for revenge and turns out not only to be a girl but is also engaged to Ranma because of Genma. All in all, not a pleasant time. Oh well, at least he hadn't tangled with that Kodachi chick that attacked Akane a while back, or found himself fighting with the "Golden Pair of Skating" that he'd heard about. Still, it felt like something was missing, that things were not exactly as they should be. Thinking about his friend, Ukyo, Ranma's thoughts soon turned to the only other friend he ever really had, and the only one who hadn't shown up looking for his scalp. Silently, he wondered how good ol' Ryouga was doing.

Suddenly his head whipped up from his musings, his blue eyes snapping back and forth as he scanned the horizon. Somebody was watching him, and in his experience the only people who bothered to watch him wanted his head on a pike or wanted other parts of his anatomy for other reasons. Slowly his eyes panned back and forth, back and forth, looking for the smallest disturbance, for the littlest thing that was out of place. He couldn't see anything, but his instincts told him that somebody was nearby, and he always listened to what his gut told him. Then he noticed it, a small ripple in the air, like when the sun pounded down on asphalt on a hot day. But it was a cool November afternoon, and heat ripples usually weren't shaped like human beings. Pulling back his fist, he willed his energy into it just like he'd seen Cologne do when she fought Happousai, and lashed out, sending a stream of blazing energy straight towards the strange disturbance in the air.

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Short Fang, Silver, Bug Stomper, and Shorty were busily constructing the Circle of Honor for the upcoming fight, when they all heard Squash Head's agonized scream coming over the radioes built into their face plates. As one, they dropped what they were doing and ran towards where their companion was supposed to be keeping an eye on the prey. Within minutes they arrived, to find the prey standing over Squash Head's prone form. Without hesitation, Bug Stomper and Shorty slammed into the pigtailed human and pinned him to the ground, while Short Fang and Silver attended to Squash Head. The first thing that was apparent to them was, without his armor Squash Head would most likely be dead or severely wounded. Bits and pieces of his weapons and armor were scattered all about, and there were even some puddles of silver where the metal had actually melted off. Carefully removing the armor from his friend, Short Fang winced when he saw the burns and bruises covering the leathery skin and blotting out the familiar red stripe.

"Is he going to be ok?"

Short Fang looked up from his work to stare at his prey, who was being held between Bug Stomper and Shorty. Standing up, Short Fang pressed the release catch at the side of his face plate, allowing it to drop off of his face as he shook his hair, sending the long dredlocks flying as his heavily tanned but undeniably human features were revealed. Short Fang gazed silently at his prey as Ranma looked at him in shock.

"Ryouga, is that you?"

"Yes, Ranma. It's been a long time. Now, explain why you attacked and injured one of my Hunters."

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... I sensed that somebody was watching me from nearby, and I saw what looked like these ripples in the air, so I fired a ki blast at it. Everyone who comes after me is more than tough enough to take a blast like that without serious injury, so I thought it would be a good way to end a fight before it even began. I didn't know that he wasn't a martial artist, I didn't know, I'm sorry..."

The other Hunters shifted uncomfortably as their translators went to work, deciphering the musical tones into the grunts and howls they understood. If there were more humans like this, that could put a Hunter's physical abilities to shame, then the Elders were obviously right when they decreed that no Hunts should be conducted on this planet from now on. It made hunting Bugs seem easy!

Ryouga just nodded as he listened to Ranma's explanation. Poor Squash Head got careless, it was as simple as that. While most humans would never have a chance of spotting a trained Hunter with a working invisibility field, more and more humans with extraordinary abilities kept popping up, people like Ranma and Ryouga himself. That was what made the human race so very dangerous, their ability to adapt and evolve at an alarming rate; why, they went from steam power to nuclear power in just over a century! Every human being had the potential to become an awesome force in and of themselves, and some had more potential than others. The only reason that humanity didn't already rule the stars was because far too many people let their potential go to waste, but they were swiftly approaching the point where no other race would be able to compare to them, and that's why the Elders had declared Earth off limits for Hunts; no sense in pissing off the future dominant species. Shaking his head free of such thoughts, Ryouga returned his attention to his rival.

"Squash Head was watching you, under my orders. Ranma, remember our fight, the one I didn't show up for on time? I'm here to finish it."

"WHAT?!"

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Silver stood stoicly, totally void of emotion as she watched Short Fang remove his armor and climb up onto the raised circle. But inside, she was excited and scared. Excited by the exotic look of her potential mate as his muscled frame was hidden only by the leather loincloth commonly worn by their kind when not on a Hunt or in the Circle of Honor, but scared for his safety, something she'd never experienced before. Many had heard the tale of how Short Fang took a laser blast directly to the chest during his first meeting with Good Eye and survived it with little harm. Many younger Hunters held Short Fang in awe for such feats, and considered him to be invincible. She had thought him to be invincible as well, but no she wasn't as sure and it frightened her. The human facing their Hunt Leader and taken down a veteran Hunter in full armor with a single attack. What could something like that do to Short Fang's unprotected skin? And worse, what if this Ranma, who Short Fang admitted to have been the superior fighter years ago, could still beat Short Fang? It would mean the dishonor of the adopted Predator, and possibly even his expulsion from the tribe! And so for the first time in her life, Silver felt fear as she watched the male she'd come to love face off against his greatest adversary.

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"Here are the rules for this Honor Match, Ranma. No weapons, armor, or other equipment are allowed, this is purely a hand to hand fight. The loser is the one who touches the ground outside of the ring, submits, is knocked unconcious, or gets killed. The winner decides the loser's fate, and the loser has to accept it on their honor. There are no other rules. Do you accept?"

Ranma gulped as he watched Ryouga stretch his muscles as he calmly related the rules of the fight. What had he gotten himself into this time? But he'd been taught never to refuse a challenge, and there was no way he could lose; after all, he used to beat Ryouga all the time, right? Besides, this was his friend, Ryouga. This was not only important to him, it was vital. After all, it was about honor. With a jerk of his head, the pigtailed fighter nodded his compliance with the rules. Finished with his stretches, Ryouga stood and faced his opponent. This was it, everything was at stake. Only by defeating Ranma could he ever hope to truly consider himself one of his adopted people. This was the day he'd waited and trained two long years for. He swore that he wouldn't let it go to waste.

The two rivals stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, judging their opponent, and then at an unspoken signal they charged at one another. The first to score a hit was Ranma, who was still the quicker of the two and had gained a great deal of strength after his dealings with the Amazons. Ryouga let out a faint grunt as the punch connected, and he felt his rib shatter. Ranma was even better than he remembered, but then again so was he. While Ranma had trained to become the better fighter, Ryouga had trained to become a warrior and had tested that training in battle. The difference between a fighter and a warrior is a simple one that carries a profound weight. While the fighter puts his strength into a fight, a warrior gives their heart, soul, and life. A warrior is one who has stared death in the face and brought death to others; a fighter is one who never had to pass that hurdle, and so their spirit is the weaker. The fighter will hold back, fearing to experience or cause death; the warrior has no such restrictions or fears. And so it was that when Ranma threw another punch, rather than try to dodge it Ryouga stepped into the swing and accepted the hit, grabbing the outstretched wrist and breaking it in two before throwing the student of Anything Goes Martial Arts towards the edge.

Ranma was barely able to fight through the pain and alter his trajectory so that he stayed within the circle when he landed. Cradling his broken wrist, he stared at Ryouga in shock before the Hunter was on him again. Quickly, he crossed his arms and blocked the jab to his face. However, in doing so he couldn't see Ryouga's real attack, and was sent reeling when the veteran Warrior spun around behind him and hammered his elbow into the base of Ranma's skull. Again the pigtailed boy was sent skidding across the ring, and again he barely managed to stay inside it. He tried to pause and catch his second wind, but Ryouga's assualt was relentless. All he could do was defend and attack as best he could without having any time to collect himself.

For five minutes straight, the two fought with an ever growing ferocity. On the sidelines, Shorty and Silver watched horrified as they saw blood trickle from Short Fang's mouth while Bug Stomper gazed in excitement and awe. Throughout the history of their kind, there was never an Honor Match that lasted more than three minutes, and never one of this intensity. How magnificent was Short Fang and those like him! Finally, after several minutes more, the battle between the two came to the point where a single mistake would decide the outcome of the match. Tired, hurt, and with his vision starting to go hazy, Ranma overextended his arm just a little too much. It was more than enough for Ryouga to grab it, pull Ranma in, and smash his face in with his forehead. His hand around his foe's neck as he lifted him into the air, Ryouga growled into Ranma's broken and bleeding face. "Do. You. Yield."

His answer was a defiant glare and Ranma spitting a mixture of blood and saliva into his face. With a primal scream, Ryouga smashed Ranma headfirst into the hard metal of the ring and threw him with all his might across the fighting arena. This time, Ranma didn't pull out some skilled acrobatic manuver to keep his body in the ring. As he looked at his rival lying barely concious on the grass, Short Fang collapsed to his kness, spread his hands wide, and howled into the air. "It is done! No longer am I Ryouga! Now and forever after, I am only Short Fang!"

Staggering to his feet, he waved off his comrades' aid as he strode off of the arena and to Ranma, who'd managed to bring himself up to his knees. Snatching a knife from Shorty's belt, he held the blade to Ranma's throat and growled into his terrified face. "Your life is mine, on your honor."

In an instant, Ranma's face went from scared to determined and resigned. He'd lost in a fair contest, a contest where he'd agreed that the loser would accept the victor's will for him. Ranma had known that he might be forced to give his life for the Art; now that day had come, and he would meet it with whatever dignity and honor he could muster. Nodding his acceptance, he closed his eyes and arched his neck, clearly exposing the jugular. Short Fang inhaled deeply, and brought the blade darting in.

Instantly, Ranma felt pain welling from his forehead and could trace the trails of blood running down his face. Opening his eyes, he fingered the carving on his forehead, a carving of a stubby, curved triangle; a short fang. He looked up into Short Fang's grim face and saw the excitement sparkling in his old friend's eyes. Towering over the postrate boy, Short Fang spoke to him in a voice of command. "I have marked you, Ranma. Your life is mine. You are mine. And with me, you will Hunt."

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Five Terran years later...

Short Fang, the newly made leader of his tribe, looked at the Hive in front of him. There were at least a thousand Bugs held within it, ready to charge out and overwhelm any intruder at the first sign of attack. And behind that veritable wall of teeth and claws were the Royal Guards, the elite warriors of the Bug's Hive, and the all-powerful Queen herself. Turning around, he looked behind him to see his tribe, the hundred Hunters who were willing to wade into hell itself on his order. Looking to his left, he saw his mentor and father figure, the one who had made him a part of the tribe in the first place after sparing his life, Good Eye. Standing beside him was his mate Silver, the old Hunter Bug Stomper, the cheerful but deadly Shorty, and Squash Head, who proudly exposed his misshapen head and the burn scars on his chest, wearing them as badges of honor. And turning to his right, Short Fang saw a figure about his height and build, covered in red and black armor, kneeling to him, awaiting his order.

He remembered the shock he felt when he learned about the curse, but that hadn't stopped him from making Two Bodies a Hunter. His fellow human being had been a loyal servant and friend, quickly learning the ways of the Hunters and becoming the strongest of them, second only to Short Fang himself. Turning away from his fellow warriors, his comrades, his family, Short Fang once again studied the massive Hive. Then, a grin formed underneath his faceplate, and he bellowed out his war cry as he rushed forward, his kinsmen and friends right beside him. The Hunt was on, as it would always be.

End

Author Notes: Ok, this is inspired by three things. One, a Ranma ½ and Predator crossover written by another fanfiction writer, the names of which I can't remember. Two, the fact that Aliens versus Predators is coming out this summer. And three, because the title of the manga episode in which Ryouga appeared for the first time is in fact titled, The Hunter. The results of these things is the above fic. Be sure to give me a shout if you liked this or have anything you might like to see in the future. Next up is a Ranma and GI Joe crossover based on my lost work, Soldier's Vow. 'Til then, ja ne!


	2. Story 2: Soldier's Vow

**A Ranma by any Other Name**

Disclaimer: Blood is red, bruises are blue, I'm a violent psycho, so you'd better not sue. I don't own Ranma ½ or GI Joe. I do own the story and any original characters.

Key: " " = speaking in English

" "= speaking in Japanese

{ }= music

= sound effect

Story 2: Soldier's Vow

Hawk sighed as he drove through the Japanese countryside. He'd arrived a week ago to participate in a month long training program for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and already he missed the States, the Pit, and most of all his Joes. Here he was training soldiers who most likely would never see real combat, and while he was doing that his Joes, the men and women that he commanded and often led into battle, would most likely see at least two combat operations. All without him. He should be there, with his people, not here half a world away! Once again, Hawk sighed in resignation as he drove his jeep through the woods. It didn't matter what he wanted, he'd been ordered to be here, and he was a soldier. He'd carry out that order.

Suddenly the general was yanked out of his thoughts by the sounds of distant screaming. Pressing the brakes to the floor and turning off the engine, Hawk listened carefully, and what he heard horrified him.

"Pops, no! Please daddy, stop! It hurts! It hurts! N-n-n-no... ARRGGHHH!"

"Shut up, boy! Stop being such a weak girl! Now get back in there!"

Without hesitation, Hawk flicked on the homing beacon inserted into the jeep and turned on the radio. "This is General Hawk, United States Army on special assignment to the JSDF, calling Okayama law enforcement. Does anyone read me?"

There was a pause, and then the radio cackled to life again. "We read you, General Hawk, this is Lieutenant Okitia, Okyama third preceint. What is the matter?"

"I have come across what appears to be a severe case of child abuse in action. From the sounds of it, the boy might not last much longer if this keeps up. Please send police units right away. My location is grid Alpha-Tango, coordinates ninety-three by fifty. Use the radio transponder in my jeep to guide you to the exact spot. Send medical units. I need to move in now. Get your officers here ASAP. Hawk out."

"General, wait... !"

But Hawk wasn't hearing him anymore. Already, the soldier was running through the woods, letting the screams of agony and drunken shouts of anger lead him. He was a soldier, it was his duty to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. He would not let that boy die! Patting the Smith & Wesson .38 revoler strapped to his side once for reassurance, he stepped into the clearing where the cries were coming from. There in front of him was a fat, balding man in a dirty gi and cheap glasses, stale sake heavy on his breath. Surprised, the man barked at him in Japanese. "Who are you? What are you doing here, filthy gaijin?!"

Ignoring the insults, Hawk walked past the man, his attention focused solely on the covered pit that the incresingly weak cries sounded from. Genma was outraged. How dare this gaijin come to his country, interrupt the training that would turn his son into Genma's personal meal ticket, and then ignore him! If he'd been sober, Genma Saotome would have noticed the pistol at the man's side, and being the coward that he is would have fled into the woods with the intention of stealing his boy back later. But Genma was as far from sober as a human being can possibly get and still be standing. With a cry of rage, Genma launched himself feet first at the American and sent him sprawling across the forest floor.

Hawk didn't remember the last time he'd felt such pain! The blow, while sloppy due to the man's drunkeness, was still powerful and had landed right at the base of his spine. If the man had been sober enough to deliver the kick properly, then he'd be dead or crippled by now. Instinct honed by years of vicious combat took over, and Hawk rolled over onto his back, ignoring the pain lancing through it, and slipped his handgun out of his holster. As the fat man leapt at him again, Hawk pulled the trigger six times. Genma stopped in midair as the force of the bullets forced him to fly back as the carefully aimed shots shattered his ankles, kneecaps, and shoulders. As soon as his enemy fell screaming to the ground, Hawk sprang to his feet and whipped the butt of his pistol over the man's head, sending him spiraling into unconsciousness.

Staggering over to the pit, Hawk used all of his strength to lift the heavy wooden cover off of the opening. What he saw there would give him nightmares for months. At the bottom of the pit was a young child, bloodied and barely moving as hundreds of thin, ragged cats scratched at the few remaining pieces of fish tied to the boy. Desperately, Hawk glanced about the encampment, and spotting a rope quickly tied one end to a tree and the other end around his waist. Then, taking a moment to reload his pistol, Hawk leapt into the pit, spraining his ankles as he landed on the floor more than thirty feet below the surface. Firing into the mass of cats, Hawk caused them to rush away from the loud noise and bright light. Scooping up the boy in one arm, Hawk finished firing off the last of his ammunition into the horde of felines and started scaling his way out of the pit, one hand on the rope and the other cradling the boy protectively as he whispered soothingly into the barely conscious boy's ear. As he neared the top, two sets of gloved hands reached in and helped him out. There in the clearing were four police officers and two paramedics, on of whom was bandaging Genma's wounds.

Handing the child to the other paramedic, one of the officers turned back to Hawk. "General, what the hell happened here?!"

Fighting through the pain, Hawk stood up and started pointing at Genma and the pit, speaking in the little bit of Japanese that he'd learned in preparation for his assignment here. "That bastard had his son tied up down there in that pit, smothered in fish with hundreds of straving cats. When I moved towards the pit where the boy's screams were coming from, he attacked me with intent to kill. I had no choice but to shoot him. After he was subdued, I uncovered the pit, tied a rope to the tree, and jumped in to get the boy. And that's what happened."

The police officers and paramedics were Japanese, a people famed for their stoicism, so they gave no indication of how they felt. But Hawk noticed that the paramedic was starting to tie Genma's bandages much more roughly, and that the officers nearly popped the pudgy man's wounded shoulders out of their sockets when they brought his wrists back to handcuff him.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Two hours later, Hawk was in the hospital along with the boy. He was quickly examined, given pain relievers, and assured that his injuries were nothing that a little bit of time couldn't cure. Walking stiffly out to the waiting room, he saw Lieutenant Okita, who'd been one of the first officers on the scene and had taken Hawk's statement. Seeing the American general enter the room, Okita stood and bowed deeply, holding the bow for several minutes before straightening and speaking to Hawk. "Sir, the people of Japan owe you a great debt. The results of the man's finger prints came through almost immediately. He is listed as one Genma Saotome, fifty charges of assualt, ninety charges of resisting arrest, ten charges of assualt on an officer, five charges of attempted murder, two charges of attempted murder of a police officer, two hundred and sixty-eight charges of petty larceny, five hundred and seventy-nine charges of perjury, thirty-one charges of breach of contract, forty charges of child abuse, twenty-eight charges of slave trading, three accusations of spouse abuse, and now one charge of animal abuse. General, you just caught one of the most dangerous men in Japan! There's no doubt that he'll be breaking rocks in a high security prison for the rest of his life once his case goes through the courts. An arrest like this can make my career for the rest of my life! Thank you my friend. Thank you."

Hawk waved off the other man's thanks. He'd merely been doing his duty. He hadn't been looking for thanks or any reward; for him, the job he did was it's own reward. He could be proud that he did something nescessary, something that few people could do. Turning to the officer, Hawk asked the question that had been plauging him ever since they arrived at the hospital. "What about the boy?"

Instantly Okita's good mood vanished, to be replaced with a sorrowful look. "The surgeons are almost finished patching him up. One of them said that he was amazed the boy was still alive. Another noticed that there were an awful lot of old scars and other injuries as well, including some potential brain damage that they're working on repairing. It's looks like this abuse has been going on for years."

"But he's only six years old! What about his mother?"

"We can't find anything on her, it appears as though the files on her were tampered with, probably by Genma himself. As far as we know, she's dead. I mean come on, she must be dead! What mother would let their only child go to travel alone with a monster like that? There are no other relatives listed for the boy, Ranma. We have no choice, we'll have to put him in an orphanage."

Hawk winced in sympathy. He'd visited an orphanage once, as part of an Army public relations stunt. He hadn't liked what he saw. Oh sure, the kids were clothed, fed well, and had a warm roof over their heads, but he could tell that they were all lacking something; love. No matter how much the orphanage staff might have cared for them, they just couldn't give them the sort of attention and love that young children needed. It just seemed wrong to Hawk, that the child would have to be forced through that sort of hell just because his father was a crook and his mother was nowhere to be found. Suddenly the silence between the two men was broken by an inhuman howl and cries of pain. A doctor came staggering out of the emergency operating room where the boy was, clutching his arm and ignoring the blood that poured into his face from the four parallel slash marks over his left eyebrow. Spotting Hawk and Okita, he lurched towards them before collapsing, the pain of his injuries too much to bear. Still, he managed to cry out to them for aid. "Please, help! There, in the operating room! We don't know what happened! Just help them, please!"

Hawk was already in motion as the man pleaded for help, Okita only a few steps behind him, both with weapons drawn. As one the two of them burst through the doors to see an astonishing sight. There, pacing in an agitated manner much like a cat, was the boy that Hawk had rescued. Huddled in the corner was the medical staff who'd been attending to the child, their injuries fortunately minor but with no intention of aggravating the boy's unusual behavior further. As Hawk entered, the boy turned his eyes towards him. Eyes widening in apparent regocnition, the deranged child yet out an excited meow and then leapt onto the general's feet, rubbing against his legs and purring. A surprised Hawk turned to Okita, who had a big grin on his face and a look that warned Hawk that the police officer had come up with a crazy idea. "Well, well, well. Looks like he's fond of you, general. Tell me, have you ever thought about adoption?"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

When he'd woken up, he'd been surrounded by bright lights and men and women in white clothes poking him with sharp metal objects. His reaction was natural and completely guided by instinct; he attacked the threat. Once the strange men and women weren't a threat anymore, he'd began pacing about the odd, white room, looking for Mean Idiot Man, so that he could tear the fool apart. Just as he was about to burst out of the room, two men rushed in. Turning to them, he was surprised to realize that he knew one of them. It was Warm Arm, Gentle Voice Man, the one who got him out of the pit! Bounding over, he purred as he rubbed against his savior's legs, then lay down at his feet and fell into a deep slumber. For the first time that he could remember, he felt safe.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Two weeks later, Ranma was resting in a recovery room at the hospital. His wounds were healed, but the hospital staff had insisted that he stay to be treated for his previous injuries and the malnutrition he suffered due to his father's greedy habits concerning food. When he'd first heard that his father had been arrested and was now in jail, Ranma had been scared. But slowly, thanks to a lot of people who came and talked to him, he realized that his father had been doing bad things and that it was only right that he was stopped from doing them anymore. There was a knock on the door, and Ranma smiled as he saw his favorite visitor, the man who made him fully realize that his father really had been wrong all along. The doctors all called him Abernathy-san or General Abernathy, but the black haired man had told Ranma to call him Hawk. The young boy thought it was a cool name, and told the general so. Hawk had just smiled, and said that maybe one day Ranma could have one just like it if he wanted to. Sitting up a little straighter in his bed, Ranma threw Hawk a crisp salute, holding it until it was returned, and then held his arms out to embrace the older man in a joyful hug. It was strange, but in the two weeks that he'd known him, Ranma had grown to feel happier and safer in Hawk's presence, much more so than he'd ever felt around his father. With a smile, Ranma held a book up to Hawk. "Hawk-san, I finished the book you loaned to me, can I have another?"

Needless to say, Hawk was a little surprised, although he was getting used to Ranma excelling beyond all expectations. "What, already? You read Sun-Tzu's Art of War in only three days?"

"Yes sir! I did like you told me, and treated learning like a kata, like practicing martial arts. Once I start, it's hard to stop!"

Hawk grinned and affectionately ruffled Ranma's hair. "Good boy, you make me proud with how hard you try."

Pausing, Hawk thought for a long moment about what he had to say to the boy. Quickly, he switched to English, which he'd been teaching to Ranma lately. "Hey kid, I've got something to tell you."

"Yes, sir?"

"Well, my tour here is over soon. In a week, I'll be returning to the States."

The boy's reaction was immediate and emotional. Throwing himself at Hawk, Ranma wrapped his small arms around the man in a crushing bear hug, sobbing into the general's chest as he screamed out denials in rapid fire Japanese. "No! You can't leave! You can't! I don't want to be alone! Please don't leave me!"

On instinct, the man took the child in his arms and rocked him back and forth gently, whispering for him to be calm. Once Ranma had calmed down enough, Hawk told him what he had planned. "Don't worry kid, I won't leave you. When we first brought you here, Officer Okita suggested that I should adopt you, and I think he's right. The only question now is, do you want to come with me? Do you want to live with me in America?"

His answer was the boy looking up at him with wide eyes before a large grin split Ranma's face, rage and sorrow replaced with tears of joy.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Genma Saotome cursed loudly as the sledgehammer he wielded skidded off of the rock in front of him and hit his foot. For over thirteen years, he'd been stuck in this hellhole. Damn that judge! He obviously didn't understand the sacrifices nescessary in the name of the Art! But he'd show him! He'd show all of them! For years, he'd been slowly tunneling out rock and dirt using the Saotome School Forbidden Techniques, until he was outside of the walls and near the tree line. In two more days, he'd be free to find the boy, beat him back into submission, and drag him over to the Tendo's to marry one of Soun's girls so that he could retire and live off of the boy's hard work! Genma was wrenched from his fantasies by a deceptively sweet, sing-song voice.

"Yoo-hoo! Gen-chan, where are you?"

A chill went down Genma's spine, and he quickly hid behind the nearest inmate. What were the odds of finding a six foot eight inch tall, two-hundred and eighty pound body builder named Bubba in a Japanese penitentary?

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Hawk frowned as he put down the phone. This was not good news. He'd thought that the past was just that, the past. But no, it had come to haunt him again. Picking up the phone, he quickly dialed in a number that he knew by heart. The person he was looking for would most likely be in the GI Joe dojo. Before the phone even finished ringing the first time, the reciever was picked up. For several seconds, Hawk listened to to the sweet and rare sound of silence, before he spoke. "Hello, Snake Eyes. Is Swandive there? I need to speak with him."

There was a pause and the sound of the phone being passed to someone else before a perky, femenine voice spoke up. "Yo Hawk, this is Jinx. Sorry, Swandive left twenty minutes ago with Wild Bill and Ripcord. Those two maniacs should be on the ground shortly."

The leader of GI Joe, the world's most skilled fighting force, sighed in resignation, thanked the female ninja, and hung up. Just his luck that his adopted son turned out to be crazy enough to be a paratrooper.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

He could feel the wind rushing past him, whipping across his skin, sending his clothing flapping around his body. At this high of an altitude, there was little air, savage winds, and cold temperatures. But most important to him was the temporary escape from gravity, the fleeting independence from the ground. And of course, there was the adrenaline rush from plummeting towards the earth at sixty miles per hour from over three thousand feet in the air. This was freedom, this was really living. Snapping his clear blue eyes open, he grinned at the small patch of tan that was the Nevadan desert. He couldn't see the landing zone, or even the Pit itself from up here, but he knew that his fellow Joes were watching him from down there, their eyes aided by the most sophisticated technology on the planet. Well, since he most likely had an audience, he'd better give them a show. Reaching up to his collar, he clicked on the radio situated next to his throat. "This is Swandiove, strap yourselves in boys and girls, 'cause I'm gonna Rock n' Roll!"

His grin just got even wider as he heard the heavy cursing on the other end of the connection. Obviously, the blonde, bearded heavy machine gunner was in attendance among whatever crowd waited for him below, and didn't take kindly to the almost careless use of his codename by the younger man. Well, tough. These old timers needed somebody to spice things up around here! Reaching to his side, his fingers found the controls to the CD player firmly strapped to his belt, the earphones already in place on his head and with a feed piping whatever music he decided to play over the radio. Hitting the button he knew to be play, the paratrooper listened contentedly to the song that he'd taken his codename from.

{Oh, I climb, hand over hand, closing my eyes...}

Listening to the song, he closed his eyes and let the music wash over him, the gentle tones infusing his body with a slow, steady build up of energy.

{ Too scared to look down...}

In brief defiance of the lyrics, his eyes snapped open and a mad grin spread over his features again as he gazed at the approaching landscape.

{ I climb, hand over hand, putting distance between I and I and the ground...}

Sadly, although he was still quite some distance from the ground he'd eventually land. After all, all good things must come to an end.As the tempo increased, the adrenaline started pumping ever faster through his veins, preparing him for the aerial acrobatics he was about to perform.

{ I get to the top! I sit on the edge! I look to the sky! And say all my prayers!}

As the chorous began, his manical grin widened even further, almost to the point of causing him pain. Jerking his arms and legs out, he snapped himself back as he decelerated, spinning about in a mad corckscrew as he sung along to the lyrics.

{ WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! I DON'T KNOW, NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT!}

As the intensity of the chourous drove into him, he pulled off a dizzying array of aerial stunts, including flips, rolls, and spins, levelling off as the rhythm mellowed out again.

{ You should ask somebody, 'cause I've got nothing to lose tonight. Misplaced my life tonight. Chased all my friends away tonight. I don't say the right things, I don't look the right way, but that's just not me. I listen to my music too loud and watch too much damn tv. I get to the top! I sit on the edge! I look to the sky! And say all my prayers!}

At the second onset of the chorous, the diver went into another, fiercer display of mid-air prowess, awing the people watching below.

{ WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! I DON'T KNOW, NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN A... SWANDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A... SWANDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! I DON'T KNOW, NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN A... SWANDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT!}

As the song moved to a part where the singer spoke aloud, he tucked in for a fast dive, speaking the lines as he screamed into the rushing wind in place of the singer and letting the CD echo him.

"Tell me, who can control the flood? No one! Where're the angels? Nowhere! Where's the honesty? Nowhere! Huh! Where's the compassion? Nowhere! WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH?!"

{NO ONE.}

"WHO WILL BELIEVE IN ME?!"

{ NO ONE.}

"WELL WHO WILL STAND BY ME?!"

{ NO ONE.}

"WELL WHO WILL FLY WITH ME?!"

{ NO ONE.}

At the end of the speaking segment, the young man furled his limbs out again, snapping back into the air in yet another wild spin.

{ I climb, hand over hand, closing my eyes... too scared to look down. I climb, hand over hand, putting distance between I and I and the ground. I get to the top. I stand on the edge. I look to the sky...}

Guitar chords ripping through his ear drums, he did a flip and dived down again, faster than ever before.

{ WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! I DON'T KNOW, NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT!}

Falling ever faster towards the ground, he screamed in tandem with the CD, leaving all of the rage and anguish he felt flapping behind him in the sky. Seeing the glint of metal that was the Pit, he shouted one last time as he ripped the cord leading to the parachute on his back, releasing the silken sail and jerking him up into the sky one last time before he began drifting gently down to the desert surface below, the last chords of the song gently flowing from his lips. "Oh yeah, what could be better than a sawndive, into the asphalt. Heh, thank you HED and PE for great tunes. Hope you enjoyed the show, ladies."

His answer came over the radio in the form of several enthusiastic hollers, before there was a rustling on the other end of the radio and he heard the familiar voice of one of his instructors in the way of ninjitsu, Jinx. "Nice show, kid. Listen up Swandive, Hawk wants to talk to you, so as soon as you touch down stow your gear and get to his office."

The woman in the red ninja suit couldn't help but chuckle as she heard her protoge let loose a bout of swearing that would make Shipwreck, GI Joe's resident sailor proud. "Damnnit, what did I do now?!"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Sir, Specialist First Class Ranma Abernathy reporting as ordered, sir."

Hawk looked up from the papers on his desk and smiled at the younger soldier, taking a moment to look at Ranma's outfit. It was a matte black, skintight body suit, similar to Snake-Eye's uniform, but with some differences. For instance, the fabric felt like silk and allowed for full freedom of movement, but was waterproof, fire and tear resistant, and had a thin layer of kevlar woven in so that it offered some protection from bullets. Over it was a thin bullet-proof vest, holding dozens of pouches and pockets for a variety of gear, including a miniature underwater breathing device, nightvision goggles, plastic explosives, throwing knives, a silenced pistol, and more. And finally came the most impressive part of his uniform, the patches, proudly displayed on his shoulders: the airborne division badge, the ranger badge, the sharpshooter badge, the engineer badge, the special forces badge, and the symbol of the Ashikage ninja clan. In the two years since he joined the Army, Ranma had excelled at everything he did, and he'd done many things, training with some of the most elite units in the world. It was only natural therefore that after he'd been in the service for just over a year that he was recruited for GI Joe. Hawk was proud of his son, he'd turned out to be a fine soldier. Returning the crisp salute, Hawk motioned to the chair across the desk from him, and Ranma gracefully seated himself. Steepling his fingers, Hawk looked at Ranma for a long moment before speaking.

"Son, you've done me proud. As soon as I brought you here as my adopted child, you immediately started learning everything that you could about being a soldier. You got Low Light to teach you marksmanship, Tripwire to teach you about demolitions and explosives, Wetsuit to teach you about being a SEAL, Jinx and the other martial artists to teach you unarmed combat, and more. So before I say anything else, I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, I love you, and I'll support you."

Sighing, Hawk leaned back and rubbed the bridge of his nose, the words he was about to say weighing heavily upon him. "Ranma, I received a telephone call from the Japanese government, specifically the department of corrections, about an hour ago. Yesterday morning, at midnight Japan time, Genma Saotome escaped from the maximum security prison that he was incarcerated in."

Ranma's face blanched, turning whiter than a bedsheet. Leaning forward, Hawk clasped his son's shoulder, lending him his strength for a moment. "Don't worry son, you're a United States citizen now, and more importantly you're a Joe. He can't do anything to you without bringing all of us down on top of him. Now, since I have a personal interest in this case, I've volunteered our services to the Japanese police to capture this fugitive. You, Law, and I will go to Japan within twenty-four hours. The Youngbloods will also be accompanying us as back-up. Now, I want you to think Ranma. Is there anyplace that Genma's likely to go?"

The young soldier visibly relaxed when he heard that Law, the GI Joe MP, and the Youngbloods, the new unit of rookie Joes that he belonged to would be supporting them. Closing his eyes, Ranma meditated just as Jinx, Snake-Eyes, and others had taught him to do, allowing his mind to clear and the memories he wanted to surface. Probing every memory he had of his biological father with careful scrutiny, he finally found a clue buried within his own brain. Eyes snapping open, he looked to his father, his real father in every way that counted, and relayed what he'd remembered. "Sir, Genma always talked about his training partner, Soun Tendo. I think he mentioned that Mr. Tendo owns a dojo in the Nerima district of Tokyo. My... father... didn't have any other friends, or at least none that he mentioned. From my father's stories, he and Soun Tendo were closer than brothers, and Soun would believe anything Genma told him. I think our best bet is to start there, the Tendo Dojo."

Nodding in affirmation, Hawk removed his hand from his son's shoulder and pressed the intercom to the GI Joe communications center. "Mainframe, Dial Tone, I want you to get me everything you can find about Soun Tendo, the Tendo Dojo in Tokyo, Tokyo's Nerima district, and any close relatives or friends that Tendo might have. Also, tell Lift Ticket and Wild Bill to fire up one of the cargo planes, and tell Law and the Youngbloods to assemble at the main hanger with full gear in thirty minutes. We're going on a little trip."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Oh, Saotome, such tragedy! That you'd be falsely accused of child abuse by some foreigner ignorant of the ways of the martial artist, and to be treated like a common criminal, having Ranma torn away from your care and sent away who knows where while you were wrongfully sent to jail until you were just released! Oh, the perils of a martial artist are neverending!"

"Indeed, Tendo, indeed. Oh, to have my poor son taken from my loving arms and sent to live with some gaijin! Surely the heavens themselves weep!"

"Dear God, spare me."

Sitting in a black van parked across the street, Crosswire turned to Ranma, also known as Swandive, and shook his head as he listened to the conversation taking place in the Tendo residence courtesy of a directional microphone. "No offense Swany, but your old man's the worst actor I've ever heard."

Swandive nodded in agreement with Jonas Silvers, the technology expert known as Crosswire, who was one of his fellow Youngbloods. Over the radio, a feminine voice with a light Russian accent could be heard. "Da, comrade Crosswire, I can see the fat fool move his lips, but nothing worthwhile is coming out of them. Swandive, darling, want me to put a thirteen millimeter armor piercing shell through the idiot's thick skull?"

Ranma chuckled at the young woman's wit. "Much as I appreciate the offer Anya, if you do I'll have to show that tape of you dressed as Nastashia and going 'kill moose and squirrel' to the entire base. Now stay on target, Sure Shot."

The young Russian snorted once before falling silent. The Youngblood's best sniper, Anya Kutshinko, aka Sure Shot for her unerring accuracy, was the only daughter of a Spetznaz officer assigned to Afghanistan. Since her mother died in childbirth and she had no other relatives, Anya was forced to grow up with her father in a country torn by conflict and guerilla warfare. Even children were targets, and she'd had to learn how to defend herself. When the Iron Curtain fell, the teenaged Anya fled to America, where she later joined the military. Turning from the radio, Ranma looked at the rest of the Youngblood team. Sharkbait was a small, slender native of Hawaii, an expert diver and surfing enthusist who got his nickname when he freaked out after he was approached by a harmless nurse shark during one of his dives. Up in the driver's seat of the van was Nitro, both an expert in operating any sort of military vehicle and a decent demolitions man, with a passion both for high speeds and big explosions. And finally was Birdie, a petite pilot and acrobat, who happened to be Lady Jaye and Flint's daughter, and Ranma's friend since childhood since the two of them were the only kids on a secret military base in the middle of the desert. Nodding to his comrades in arms, they quickly did one last check of their weapons and equipment. The mission was simple; bust in, capture Genma Saotome, and hand him over to the police. Of course, with someone as tricky as Genma involved they'd have to make it so that his guard would be down. They needed a distraction, a distraction that was coming up the street right now. With a wave of his hand, Ranma's team scattered away from the van and got into position, all under the watchful eye of Sure Shot who was situated on a nearby roof.

As Ranma watched, a miltary limo was driven up to the Tendo house by Law, who got out and opened the door for Hawk, who was in his best dress uniform and had all of his medals pinned to his chest, including a Purple Heart, three Silver Stars, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the most valued testament to courage and duty in the United States armed forces, the Medal of Honor. Walking up beside his father, Ranma smoothed out his own dress uniform before nodding to Law, who pulled out a sub-machine gun and plastered himself across the outer wall of the Tendo household, ready to leap into the coming fray when he got the signal to do so. With a last nod to each other to affirm their courage and commitment, father and son bravely strode through the gates into what could be considered enemy territory.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Kasumi Tendo was not having a good day. Oh, everything was going normally, and then some dirty vagrant comes to the door demanding to speak with her father. Kasumi was a kind and understanding soul, who could always see the best in people and ignore their bad qualities. But this friend of her father's, this Genma Saotome, didn't seem to have any good qualities that she could see. He was filthy, smelly, a glutton as proven by the twelve bowls of rice that he'd eaten since arriving here an hour ago, and something about him quite frankly scared her, as if she were in the presence of a dangerous, desperate man. So when someone knocked on the front door, she ignored Genma's obvious wince and stood up to answer it, glad to get away from the pudgy martial artist.

Plastering her trademark smile on her face, she opened the door and bowed lowly. "Hello, welcome to the Tendo house, may I help you... oh my!"

Standing before her were a pair of men, their chiselled bodies and faces combining with the immaculate dress uniforms to present an imposing picture. The older, American soldier bowed deeply while the younger of the two, his features undeniably Japanese, just stood silently and without a hint of emotion. Rising from his bow, the older man presented her with a quick salute before speaking in somewhat rusty, but passable Japanese. "Excuse us ma'am, but is this the Tendo house?"

"Why, yes it is."

"Excellent, my name is General Clayton Abernathy, of the United States Army Special Forces. I believe that I and my subordinate here have business with your father. Is he at home?"

"Well, yes, he is. He's visiting with an old friend of his right now, but I'm sure that he'll gladly see you. Please, follow me."

"Thank you."

As they followed the girl, who couldn't be more than twenty-two, Hawk cursed the fact that he wasn't three decades younger. Such a pretty, polite girl, the perfect makings of an Army wife. As it was, he noticed that his son seemed a little more interested in the mission than he had been previously. When they entered the living room, Hawk had to fight to keep away the smile he felt at Genma's look of terror. Good, he remembered him, and remembered what Hawk had done to him. Under such circumstances, Genma would most likely make a break for it when things came to a head, something that they were counting on for their plan to go without a hitch. But until that time came to pass, they'd have to pretend that they didn't know who he was. Soun rose solemnly and greeted them. "Welcome, gentlemen. I'm Soun Tendo, you've met my daughter Kasumi, these are her sisters Nabiki and Akane, and this is my dear old friend, Gen-"

In a flash Genma interrupted. "Gendo. Gendo... Saitama."

Hiding his puzzlement, Soun continued, covering as always for his friend. "Er, yes, my friend Gendo Saitama. Now, how might I help you?"

Assuming a grim expression, Hawk sat down, beginning to speak after everyone had followed his lead and settled down around the table. "Mr. Tendo, sir, as I told your daughter, My name is General Abernathy, of the United States Army. I need to ask you something, do you remember a Genma Saotome?"

Hawk once again had to hide a grin when thick beads of sweat started running down Genma's face. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Saitama, but are you alright? You're fidgeting and sweaty. If I didn't know better, I'd say that you're nervous."

Genma rapidly shook his head before making a big show out of caughing into his fist. "Oh, it's nothing. Just coming down with something, I suppose."

Becoming a little concerned about why these people wanted to know about his old friend, and why Genma was pretending to be somebody else, Soun responded to his visitor's question. "Yes, I know Genma very well. We trained tirelessly together in the ways of the martial artist, under the great and fearful Master Happousai. Through our common goals and suffering, we forged an enduring friendship more pure and unbreakable than tempered steel. Why do you want to know?"

"Are you aware that Genma had a son, Ranma?"

"Well of course I am!"

"I meant no offense, sir. Now, to the real business at hand, do you remember an agreement made between you and Genma concerning your children?"

"Yes, Genma and I made a solemn promise that one day our two schools would be joined by our children coming together in marriage."

It was obvious from the shocked looks on the girl's faces that this was news to them. Before they could raise their voices in surprise or protest, Hawk carried on with his act. "Sir, it's my sad duty to inform you that Genma Saotome is currently in a maximum security prison, serving out a life sentence without parole for numerous counts of different felonies, including theft, child abuse, and attempted murder. His son Ranma was taken out of his care and adopted."

Kasumi was becoming increasingly frightened. Mr. Saotome hadn't said anything about charges other than the flase ones of child abuse, and he'd said that his sentence had been served and that he'd been let out of prison. But now it was sounding like he was something far worse than just a simple child abuser, and that he was an escaped criminal on the run from the law. What would happen if he felt cornered? And these two didn't seem aware that Genma was out, and they certainly didn't seem to recognize him. They couldn't possibly be prepared to deal with a desperate fugitive, and her father hadn't trained in the Art for years. How would they defend themselves if Genma attacked them?

As the eldest Tendo sister sat there in fear, her father barely managed to put on a convincing act of surprise. "What?! I never knew! Oh, the tragedy! I'm sure that my dear friend was falsely accused! What became of his son?"

"Sir, while I comend your loyalty to and belief in your friend, he has over a thousand various charges against him, and all fo them are with eyewitnesses. Now, as to what happened to his boy, why, he's sitting right next to me."

As one, every eye in the room turned to the young Japnese-looking soldier, who bowed lowly before speaking. "My name is Ranma Abernathy, but my birth name is Ranma Saotome."

Silence reigned as Soun stood in shock with his younger two daughters, Kasumi looked curiuosly at the young man, and Genma glared at the boy he hadn't seen in thirteen years. Breaking the silence, Ranma continued. "I was very young when my father was arrested. It was just after he'd attempted to train me in a dangerous and foolish martial arts technique; fortunately, due to intense training under my martial arts senseis, I've managed to control the techniques side effects. I was in the hospitial, I had no relatives, and my father had always led me to believe that my mother was dead. Then, the American general who had helped the police arrest my father at the risk of his own life, General Abernathy here, started to visit me in my hospitial room every day. He'd spend hours talking to me and comforting me. In a few short weeks, he'd become more like a father to me than my real dad ever was. When it was time for him to return to America, I begged him not to leave me alone. He adopted me, and he's raised me as his own. And that's why we came here, once we learned of the arrangement between you and Genma. Legally, I'm no longer a Saotome, and so I have no obligation to marry one of your daughters. We just came here to let you know that, so that you could let them move on with their lives."

Genma couldn't take it anymore, he leaped to his feet and screamed into Ranma's face. "Insolent, worthless boy! You would dare stain the honor of our family name by breaking the pact with the Tendos?!"

It was only when he saw the triumphant smirk on his son's face that Genma understood his error. Feeling his danger sense tingle, he dived down behind the table, allowing the rubber sniper bullet to pass harmlessly above him. With a quick motion, he had Kasumi in his grasp, his hand around her throat. Her scream snapped the other Tendos out of their shock, and brought the Joes running into the room, weapons pointed at Genma. Soun Tendo felt the last shreds of his grasp on reality slipping as he watched his dear friend threaten the life of Soun's eldest daughter, and darkness claimed him as he fainted, Nabiki and Akane huddled in the corner crying with fear. Ranma cursed to himself, this was not how it was supposed to happen! Genma was supposed to make a run for it, where he'd be taken down by a rubber bullet from Sure Shot's sniper rifle and subdued by the others. Instead, he'd stood his ground and taken a hostage; obviously, he was a lot more desperate than they'd thought. Ducking behind Law to mask his actions, Ranma spoke quietly into his radio. "Anya, forget about taking him alive, civilian lives are in danger, take him down now."

"I can't Ranma! I don't have a clear shot! If I fire, I'll kill the girl!"

Swearing to himself again, he motioned to Law, Nitro, and Sharkbait, who slowly backed off, carefully grabbed the other Tendos, and took them to safety. With another wave of his hand, Hawk, Birdie, and Crosswire also lowered their weapons and stepped back, although they stayed in the room. Stepping forward, Ranma stood across from his natural father, gazing into the man's frantic, darting eyes. "What do you hope to accomplish, Genma? Breaking out of prison, threatening a young girl, it's only going to get you the death penalty."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Stupid, foolish, idiotic boy! This is all your fault! Yours and that damn American's! I had everything planned out, I would have turned you into an unstoppable fighting machine, and you would have married one of Tendo's daughters, making a tidy profit as you worked in the dojo and allowing me to live in luxury! But no, you were too weak, too stupid, too womanly to amount to anything! Now because of that American's influence, you're as weak as he is, and there's nothing you can do to stop me from wringing this pathetic girl's neck if I wanted to!"

Kasumi felt tears welling up in her eyes, the first tears that she'd ever felt since her mother passed away more than fifteen years ago. Then she looked into Ranma's eyes, and suddenly she felt at peace. Those blue eyes of his held determination, confidence, conviction, and a promise that he would get her out of this alive and safe no matter what. Shaking his arms slightly, Ranma held them out on either side of himself in a gesture of peace and calm. "Now calm down, let's talk about this."

"Hah! The time for talking is- YYYYAAARRRGGGHHH!"

In a move that none of them could see, Ranma's hands blurred, and suddenly embedded in Genma's hand and shoulder were a pair of throwing knives. Reflexively letting Kasumi go was Genma's second and last mistake, because the second his hand was away from the woman's throat Ranma was surging forward, knocking Genma to the ground with a quick punch. Ranma was all over his father, punching and screaming for all that he was worth as blood splattered across his knuckles and clothing from Genma's face. Hawk looked on sadly, but not yet interfering. He knew that Ranma needed to do this, to let all of his hatred and anger for the man lying helpless beneath him out into this one moment of release. But when he ordered Ranma to stop, he was horrified to see that his son apparently couldn't hear him. It was Kasumi's shaking, fearful voice that finally broke through the haze of anger and violence surrounding him. "Y-you... you can stop. I... I... I'm safe now, he can't hurt me, and... he, he can't hurt you either. That's what happened... isn't it? Seeing me there, reminded you of all the times he hurt you, and you were powerless to stop him. It.. it's ok now, you stopped him, yopu finally stopped him, you're free now."

Looking to the eldest Tendo sister, Ranma barely noticed Law come in to handcuff Genma and drag him outside to a waiting police van. Closing his eyes, he allowed a single tear to break loose. She was right, after all this time he was free, free of the fear, the memories, the nightmares that still woke him up screaming in the middle of the night. Ranma opened his eyes just in time to see Kasumi begin to collapse, and rushed over to catch her. Crying in terror and relief, Kasumi clung desperately to the slightly younger man, finding comfort and safety in his arms as he rocked her back and forth and stroked her hair soothingly. Watching the tender moment, Hawk wondered if maybe they shouldn't reconsider that engagement between Ranma and one of the Tendo girls. Birdie also watched the scene, glancing at Anya as the Russian sniper walked into the room and also took in the tearful, romantic scene. As the two female soldiers, both of whom had been close to Ranma for a long time, looked into each others eyes, they shared a single thought; great, more competition for Ranma.

End

Author Notes: Wow, this was either really good or really bad, I'm not sure which yet. Better leave it up to the public to decide. If you'd like to see more stories featuring my unique GI Joe unit, the Youngbloods, just let me know and I'll get right on it. Ja ne!


	3. Story 3: The Transfer Student

**A Ranma by any Other Name**

by Night Hunter MGS

Author Note's: Thank you, everybody who's reviewed this, and even those who haven't. Your comments, suggestions, and praises mean far more to me than you can possibly know. I'd like to take this opprotunity to "shout out" to my reviewers. Thanks guys.

To Bookstick: Thank you, your comments and your suggestions meant an awful lot to me, and I'm honored to have you as my first reviewer ever. There will definitely be more Youngbloods. I'm starting on a fic, which I'm going to call "Molding A Soldier" or something along those lines, which will follow Ranma growing up as Hawk's son, joining the Army, becoming a Joe, and the introduction of the rest of the Youngbloods, ending just before Genma escapes the first time. After I'm done with that, I'll start a fic chronicling the Youngblood's exploits after the events in Soldier's Vow, and I'll definitely use the ideas you suggested. Once again, thank you.

To Ranshin: Trust me, I know what it's like, having the various voices and muses in your head fighting for control. It sounded like you'd genuinely like to see more of Ryouga and Ranma as Predators, so I might expand The Hunter into a seperate fic if I have the time. As for the Youngbloods, don't worry, you'll see more of them in the near future, I promise.

To timewaster: Heh, thanks. Just about you and every other mother's child seems to want more Youngbloods, so you'll get them.

To Blaze Stryker: Thank you for the detailed review, I'm glad you liked it. I'll definitely write more Youngbloods, and since you're not the only one who seems to want The Hunter expanded into a seperate fic, with more stories about "Short Fang" and "Two Bodies", I'll probably devote some time to fics about them as well, although I might need some help since I'm not too familiar with the Predators universe past the first movie, and a quick read of some of the comics. As for Samus being introduced, I assume you mean Samus from the Metroid series. It's an interesting idea, and I'll give it serious thought.

To A reader (anonymous): Thank you, thank you so very much for telling me exactly what you thought of my work. I appreciate the constructive criticism as much as I enjoyed the praise. Once again, Soldier's Vow will definitely be expanded into it's own fic, and the Youngbloods will become major characters.

To Jason: Thank you as well. You say you want more crossovers besides GI Joe and Ranma ½ to be in the Youngblood's universe when I write more? Hmmm, ok, it sounds fun. Do you have any ideas of series you'd like to see crossed over into it? I've thought of Gunsmith Cats, Hellsing, and Full Metal Panic so far. I also thought of X-Men: Evolution, but I don't want to imitate Red Witch too much. If you haven't read her stuff, be sure to do so. She's a genius with GI Joe fics and crossovers, and the idea of the Youngbloods was sort of a combination of the Rawhides in the GI Joe movie and her own unit, the Misfits. If anybody has series they'd like to see crossed over into the Youngblood's universe, let me know.

And to TS, Gopu, Lady Mystra, and everyone else: Thank you all for your compliments and praises, it inspires me to new heights, and I'll try to get more writing done and posted ASAP.

Oh, just one more thing, everyone be sure to check out the other fics that I've posted recently, Neo-Saiyans in the Dragonball Z section and Batman AC in the Gundam Wing section. Now strap in and enjoy the fic!

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz, yes? Real Bout High School belongs to Reiji Saiga, Sora Inoue, and Tokyopop, yes? This story and any original characters that might appear in it belongs to me, yes? And you will surrender your immortal souls to me and my dark purpose, yes? NO?! Dang, almost had ya'.

Story 3: The Transfer Student

Iwao Saotome sighed as he enjoyed one of his rare moments of peace, something he'd be getting a fair amount of during the month of summer vacation. Of course, even then he'd be busy preparing new lesson plans, getting ready for new classes, and above all sparring once a day with the school's karate instructor. Since the K-Fight tournament had been introduced about six months ago, all traditional forms of discipline at Daimon High had been thrown out of the window. All conflicts were solved by often brutual matches between skilled opponents. It was, as the principal Mr. Todo had put it, a brass knuckles approach.

At first, he'd been against the principal's idea, especially since it originated from the delinquent transfer student Shizuma Kusanagi, but after he'd participated in it and seen the reactions of the student body to it, he'd finally come to appreciate the opprutunity for young warriors to develop their skills and the valuable lesson that the K-Fights taught. The basic, undeniable lesson that in the long run, might made right. Take Ryoko Mitsurugi for example, the school's champion and idol. She was completely undefeated in the tournament, and promoted order and justice in the school, a lead that many of the other students followed out of respect, admiration, and occasionally fear of winding up on the wrong end of her sword. Still, it was really the teacher's job to promote discipline, not the student's, and with the K-Fight system that meant that any teacher who wanted to maintain order on their own had to be an accomplished fighter, so he'd been training during every moment of his spare time to fine tune skills that had remained unused for far too long. The next time he entered into a K-Fight, the students would be in for a surprise.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of the ringing phone. Groaning as he stood up and stretched, he quickly picked up the reciever. "Hello, you've reached Iwao Saotome, how can I help you?"

"Iwao?"

At the faint, scared sound of a feminine voice, the teacher instantly became more attentative. "Nodoka? I haven't heard from you in nearly two years. What's wrong? Have you heard from my idiot brother? Have you found Ranma?"

"Yes, but... Oh, Iwao, it's too much! Why Iwao, why did I ever agree to marry Genma Saotome? How could I ever be so foolish?"

"Nodoka! Listen to me, just calm down and tell me everything!"

Several moments passed as the woman on the other end struggled to regain control. When she spoke again, it was with a calm, steady voice. "Iwao, I found Genma and Ranma about half a year ago. Ranma's become a fine, honorable young man and an unbeatable martial artist, but Genma's ruined him in so many other ways. Ranma's rude, uneducated, he's afraid of me, he can't deal with women, and I could just go on and on! And Ranma's life is a living hell! Why, just two weeks ago Genma and his friend Soun tried to force him to marry Soun's youngest daughter, Akane! But she's not the only girl that's gotten engaged to him due to Genma's greed and foolishness. The food was drugged, the wedding was bombed, one of the guests brought a real katanna to try and kill Ranma with, and at the end of it all the Tendo girl pummeled him and accused him of ruining the wedding! And this is normal! He is regularly manipulated, lied to, used, and abused, and he can't turn to me because his father has taught him all of his life to be afraid of me. What can I do, Iwao?"

Iwao Saotome could feel the phone threatening to slip through his limp fingers and his mouth hanging open. He'd always known that his estranged older brother was a gluttonous fool, and had often expressed the opinion that the only thing that Genma had done right in his life was to marry a good woman and have a healthy young son, but now he'd corrupted even that success! Firming his resolve, he came to a fateful decision. "Nodoka, you say that Ranma's in danger there and needs to work on his education? Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is. What do you recommend?"

"There will be a train ticket and a school transfer notice in your mail in a few days, give them to Ranma and I'll be waiting for him."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Three weeks later, a young man sat in a meditative pose in the middle of a medium sized apartment, eyes closed in contemplation and concentration. Beside him, his instructor in several new facets of life relentlessly grilled him. "Ok, let's work on Japanese history. What battle allowed the Tokugawa Shogunate to rise to power?"

The answer came quickly and calmly, completely different than how the boy had answered the questions given him just four weeks ago. "The Battle of Segikhara was the final battle which allowed the Tokugawa family to attain power, sensei."

"And what ended the reign of the Tokugawas?"

"The Meiji Revolution, sensei."

"And the age of Emperor Meiji when he assumed the throne?"

"Fifteen years old, sensei."

The older man couldn't help but beam. This is why he loved teaching, the thrill of seeing a student suddenly understand something that they'd struggled to figure out previously. "Very good Ranma, you've made astonishing progress."

Ranma smiled, one of the first carefree smiles he'd been able to wear in the last several months. "I owe it to you, Uncle Iwao. You explained to me that knowledge was a different kind of power, and that I'd be leaving myself vulnerable to those who can more easily use that power unless I learned how to utilize it myself."

"Exactly, Ranma. Think about it, President Kennedy, Hitler, Martin Luther, Ghandi, or anyone else of real consequense or status used their words. Words and knowledge are powerful tools. They can be used as weapons to harm, or as soothing balms to heal. To ignore this fact is folly, like training how to punch just with your right arm and not your left, or learning how to attack but not to defend. Understand?"

"Sure thing, Uncle Iwao! It makes a lot more sense to me now since you've been explaining education in martial arts terms."

"Heh, well I'm certainly not up to your caliber, but I am something of a martial artist too, don't forget Ranma."

"You're not so bad for a guy who follows the traditional styles, Uncle Iwao. You could definitely mop the floor with that uncute tomboy who calls herself a ,artial artist, at least I think you could."

Affectionately, Saotome-sensei reached over and tussled his nephew's hair. For nearly a month, Ranma had been staying with him, and would be attending Daimon High in a week when classes started again.Ranma probably wouldn't have bothered staying with his uncle, but his mother had let him know that it was important to her that he try this out. More than anything else in the world, Ranma didn't want to disappoint his mother, so he gave it his all. Surprisingly, this experiment of living with a different relative had benefited not only him but his uncle as well. Ranma was getting three square meals a day without having to worry about his food getting stolen, had peace and quiet, nobody trying to beat him or force him into something, and was spending time with his uncle who genuinely cared about him and had a the sort of special touch that was required to get Ranma truly excited about learning and education. As for the benefits to Iwao, he was getting to spend time with the nephew he hadn't seen in over thirteen years, was getting lots of pointers on his martial art skills, and was getting to do what he loved, teaching. As soon as Ranma fully realized that in his uncle he'd found someone to talk to that he could trust, the two of them had become close, more like brothers or like father and son than uncle and nephew.

Looking out the window, Ranma gazed into the distance towards the infamous Daimon High School. Ever since he'd come to live here, his uncle had told him stories about the school, about the K-Fight tournament, and the skilled martial artists that inhabited the school in abundance. The summer would end and he'd officially be going to Daimon in just a few days. For the first time in his entire life, he couldn't wait for school to begin.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Ryoko Mitsurugi was skipping along merrily, whistling a cheerful melody on her way to the first day of school at Daimon High. Anyone who knew her even a little bit could tell you that this picture was horribly wrong, and that something must be troubling the young girl. Those who were truly close to her knew this as well, and knew the reason behind this forced cheerfulness. Ryoko, the undefeatable swordswoman, was heart broken. For a long time, she'd had a serious crush on Tatsuya Shishikura, the kendo club president who'd guided her and encouraged her to become a great woman. A couple of months ago, he told her goodbye forever. As of this school year, he was transferred to a different high school.

Ryoko tried to be strong without him, but it was so hard! It was like being an artist who'd lost their inspiration, or a soldier who'd lost their sense of purpose. And so she wandered through life, aimless and lost. Glancing across the street, she saw Azumi Kiribayashi, a master of the naginata and another girl who had a crush on Tatsuya, who'd graduated last year from Daimon. She'd been so excited when Azumi's graduation approached, anticipating being able to spend the next year without any competition for Tatsuya's affection, but now she had no more claim to him than Azumi did. Feeling her emotions start to get out of hand again, she dashed into a nearby alley, determined not to cry in the middle of the street. Slumping down to the relatively clean ground, the young girl let the tears building inside of her to burst out in a series of heaving sobs. Suddenly a red, silken handkerchief was thrust into her field of vision, and a gentle voice flowed into her ears. "You know, my uncle says that when you see somebody crying, you should stop and listen, because unloading your troubles into a friendly ear is the best way to make your burden lighter."

Hesitating just for a second, Ryoko grudingly accepted the piece of cloth drying her eyes before looking up at the person who intruded on her solitude. There, hanging upside down from a fire escape ladder was a boy about her age with black hair tied into a ponytail just a little longer than Tatsuya's own bushy ponytail, and wearing a Daimon High School uniform similar to Shizuma's, with a loose jacket worn over a white silk shirt and baggy black pants. As Ryoko stared at the casual display of acrobatic prowess, the boy stuck his tongue out and make a funny face at her, causing the schoolgirl to laugh in spite of herself. Chuckling good naturedly, Ranma swung down from his perch and flipped over to sit beside the laughing girl. "See, whatever it was wasn't so bad that a little friendly intervention couldn't help, right?"

Grinning, Ryoko nodded. Something about this boy made her instantly feel better, as if he had a natural aura of contentment and a love of life surrounding him and everything that he did. Standing up, the boy offered her a hand to help her up, and she gratefully accepted. Silently, the two walked together until Daimon High School was in sight. Flashing her a grin the boy gave her a quick bow and a farewell before bounding away, leaping over the school walls as if they were nothing. "Well, hope you feel better. See ya' around!"

For a moment Ryoko stood there, happy for the first time since Tatsuya told her that he was leaving, before a frown shadowed her features and she trudged off to class. Just perfect, she'd forgotten to ask him his name.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Shizuma Kusanagi was doing what he did best, slacking off during class in the school courtyard, when he felt a sudden presence. Opening his eyes, he looked up into the face of another student, somebody that he'd never seen before. The boy just stood there looking at him for a moment, as if he were sizing him up, before finally speaking. "Shizuma Kusanagi?"

"Yeah, thas' me, waddaya want?"

Ranma couldn't help but wince as he listened to Shizuma's coarse speech. Was that really what he sounded like before his mother and uncle started caoching him in proper grammer? Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Ranma bowed lowly to the other boy. "My name is Ranma. I just transferred here today, but I've already heard about the invincible Shizuma Kusanagi. I'm also a martial artist, and also want to establish a club. However, I hear that there are already too many clubs at this school, so I have a proposition for you."

At the sound of the word proposition, Shizuma's ears perked up and he sat up to better study the new kid. From what he could see, the guy looked pretty tough. "Alright, you've got my attention. What sorta proposition?"

"A K-Fight. If you win..."

"When I win."

"Then, I'll allow you to dictate whatever terms you want. But if I win, then the Shizuma Kusanagi Club gets closed down, and you join my club, deal?"

It only took Shizuma a moment to think it through. It looked like this guy promised a good fight, and he really didn't think that this new kid could beat him no matter how tough he might be. "Alright, today at lunch behind the secondary gymnasium, also known as The Promised Land. Say, you got a name besides just Ranma or are you ronin or something?"

The pigtailed fighter just turned around and walked back towards the school, calling to the other boy over his shoulder. "You'll find that out at the fight."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

News of a K-Fight between one of the school favorites, Shizuma Kusanagi, and a newcomer spread through the school like wildfire, and by lunchtime every area surrounding the secondary gym was jam packed with people eager to catch a glimpse of the match. Next to the announcers table that had been set up in preparation for the fight, Principal Todo sat waiting for the festivities to begin. And next to him sat Mr. Saotome, who had a big grin on his face that was really making Todo very curious. "I was under the impression that you didn't approve of K-Fights, Mr. Saotome, yet you seem to be very eager to see this one commence."

Mr. Saotome's grin just got even wider as he addressed the head of the school staff. "Don't worry Mr. Todo. All I'll say is that this match will be... interesting."

Before he could ask what Saotome meant by that, Todo's attention was pulled to the center of the fighting arena by the sounds of wild cheering. There, approaching from different ends were the challengers, Shizuma basking in the praise heaped upon him and as flamboyant as ever, and the mysterious challenger gliding lightly over the ground, pumped up and ready for action yet in a partially serene state. As the two fighters assumed their positions in the impromptu ring and the crowds hushed in anticipation, the announcer strode from the sidelines to the center of the clearing, striking a pose as she brought the microphone to her lips. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Second Annual K-Fight tournament has officially begun! In this corner, with over sixteen victories in last year's tournament, returning favorite Shizuma Kusanagi!"

Loud cheers erupted from the crowd and Shizuma just soaked it all in like it was his due, causing Ranma to smirk. One of the hard lessons that he'd been forced to learn after Phoenix Mountain and the infamous Wedding Incident was that pride was a weakness, a weakness that could not be tolerated, and that if you believed yourself to be invincible and misjudged your opponent then you'd already lost the fight even before it began. Shizuma really reminded him of himself just a few months ago, before the humbling he endured at the hands of Herb and Saffron and the lessons he learned from his mother and uncle. Turning to him, the announcer continued her introductions. "And in this corner, we have a new student..."

At this Ranma walked over to her and handed her a note. Opening it, the announcer stared at it incredulously before looking back at Ranma, who nodded in confirmation. Swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat, the announcer continued to introduce Ranma, reading from the paper that he'd given her. "Heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, student of Grandmaster Happousai and the Matriarch of the Amazon tribe Ku Lon, master of Amazon Wu-Shu, creator of the Moko Takabisha technique, defeater of Prince Kirin and the Seven Lucky God Martial Artists, defeater of the Dragon Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty, and slayer of the Phoenix God Saffron, Ranma Saotome."

Stunned silence reigned as everyone slowly absorbed everything that the announcer had said, the only sounds being Mr. Todo's pipe hitting the ground after falling from his limp fingers and Mr. Saotome howling in laughter.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Ryoko looked down upon the fight from one of the third story windows, Hitomi standing next to her. Staring down at the conflict brewing below, she couldn't help but blush as she saw the boy that had helped her this morning facing off against Shizuma, his muscles clearly defined by a tight tank top that left most of the girls who were watching the fight drooling. He was so kind, so calm, so confident, so much like Tatsuya. A small smile spread across her face as Ryoko stared out at the recently introduced young man, his name escaping her lips in a soft whisper. "Ranma Saotome..."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Shizuma was as stunned as the rest of the school when he heard the boy's name announced, but quickly hid it with a cocky grin. "Heh, that sounds like a fair bit o' accomplishments. And the name Saotome, you related to the old man?"

"Mr. Saotome's my uncle, he's the one who arranged for me to come here."

"Yeah? Heh, he's pretty tough for an old geezer..."

"I suppose you're right, the two of us have been training together lately."

Hearing this, Shizuma's cocky grin just grew wider. So, this kid was trained by Saotome-sensei, eh? Great, that meant that this would be an enjoyable fight, but still a sure win. After all, he'd beaten the teacher, so if this guy was trained by him then he couldn't possibly be tougher than Mr. Saotome. Smiling, Shizuma cracked his knuckles and cricked his neck, the very picture of a brawler getting ready to bust some skulls. "Well, been nice talkin' to ya, but I've got a fight to win."

With a blur of motion the mono-browed fighter surged forward, fist extended. Students across the campus winced when they heard the thunderous smack of flesh hitting flesh as Shizuma's fist buried itself into Ranma's cheek. Ranma was totally motionless and his eyes were closed, it looked like Shizuma had won with just a single punch. Smirking, Shizuma taunted his apparently defeated opponent. "Heh, sorry about that man, guess I don't know my own strength."

Suddenly Ranma's snapped open and he looked at Shizuma with an evil smirk that sent shivers down the spectators spines. Shocked and suddenly afraid, the larger boy leapt back, staring incredously as Ranma dusted himself off, not even a small bruise showing on his cheekbone. "Heh, I heard that you had the most brute strength of anyone here, and that blow proved it. However..."

As he spoke, Ranma's eyes narrowed dangerously and he assumed a low, loose stance. "If you had truly dedicated yourself body and soul to the Art, if you'd fought every day of your life just for the right to survive to see another sunrise, and if you'd sacrificed and seen even half as much as I have, then you would know that in my world, among martial artists of my caliber, your punches mean nothing."

Nobody even saw him move, it was like one instant he was there and the next he'd teleported across the distance between him and his foe, his fist buried in Shizuma's gut. The brawler coughed, a line of blood trickling from his lips, and then crashed face first into the ground, barely conscious. Ranma knelt down before him, speaking in a matter of fact way. "You see Shizuma, pride is a weakness. Remember, there is always someone better than you out there. You assumed that my uncle had been training me and that meant that I was weaker than him, when in reality I've been training him. I've dedicated my every waking moment to the martial arts since I could walk Kusanagi, but of course you didn't know that. You lost this fight even before I showed up. Learn well from this defeat. The first club meeting is tomorrow after school in the night-duty room. Be there."

The crowd parted before him in silence as he walked casually back to the school building, leaving Shizuma behind for the nurse to deal with. They all knew somewhere in their minds that a true champion had arrived at Daimon High School.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

The next day after school, Ryoko rushed towards the night-duty room. She hadn't seen that boy, Ranma, since his fight with Shizuma, and she wanted to talk to him again, something within her drawn towards him like iron to a magnet. As she entered, she saw the room filled with students, many of them from the various martial art clubs. Behind a table at the far end of the room sat Ranma, with Shizuma sitting on his left and the square-jawed karate club member Daichi Koga sitting on his right. At the moment, he was calmly addressing another member of the karate club who was standing in front of them. "I'm sorry, but as you can see we've already got a representative of the karate style, and we;ve confirmed that he's the best suited to being a member of the Extreme Martial Artists Club. Thank you for applying. Next!"

As the slightly dejected boy walked past, Ryoko grabbed him on his way out. "Hey, what's going on?"

The boy smiled, his mood instantly brighter. "Oh, Miss Mitsurugi! Well, you see, apparently the new club covers every possible facet of every known martial arts style, both mainstream and exotic, and so they're selecting one member from each of the various clubs to join them. Looks like the flower arrangment club's representative is being chosen now. Well, good luck Miss Mitsurugi! I'm sure that you'll get in."

As he left, Ryoko turned around to see Ranma interviewing one of Azumi's old friends from the flower arrangement club. "So, why do you want to be in the Extreme Martial Artists Club?"

"Well, ever since Azumi graduated there haven't been any fighters to represent the flower arrangment club's interests in K-Fights. I'm the most athletic member in the club, so I was elected to represent it in this new club of yours. I heard that you offered training in styles suited to the individual clubs."

"You heard right, I will indeed be helping all of the members to improve their skills or to teach them a martial art if they don't already know one. Your reasons for joining sound good, and you do indeed seem to be the most qualified member of your club to join the Extreme Martial Artists Club. Welcome aboard. I'll be training you on Mondays and Wednesdays after school and on Tusedays and Thursdays before school in Martial Arts Flower Arrangement and Martial Arts Tea Ceromony, with the possible addition of some Martial Arts Calligraphy lessons. Congratulations on making the club, I'm sure you'll do well. Next!"

And so it went on for over half an hour before Ryoko's turn in front of the table finally came. Quite frankly, she was feeling a little overwhelmed at the variety of martial art styles that she'd heard mentioned. Who knew that Martial Arts Takeout and Cooking and Martial Arts Marching Band actually existed! As odd as some of the styles mentioned may have seemed, every club on campus got a member into the new club representing a martial arts style sutied to their clubs normal activities and philosophies, just as Ranma had apparently promised.When she stepped up, Ranma graced her with a hesitant grin. "Well, hello. I haven't seen you around for awhile. I don't think that I caught you name, Miss... ?"

Oh gods, that smile, the kind voice! He was so much like Tatsuya that it hurt. But it was a pain that she was willing to deal with. This man had intrigued her, had made her feel something that only Tatsuya had ever made her feel before, and she wanted to know more about him. Willing herself not to blush or stammer, she smiled and addressed him in a pleasant tone of voice. "My name is Ryoko Mitsurugi. Do you have an opening for a kendo practioner?"

She was the only one who saw the pigtailed martial artist wince slightly at the mention of kendo. Why did he do that? Could he not like kendo for some reason? Quickly composing himself, Ranma looked her over with a critical eye, guaging her ki and muscle build up. "So, your the infamous Ryoko, huh? I heard that you were school champion. In fact, the Kendo Club advisor was in here earlier to tell me that he'd accept nobody but you to represent the kendoists in this club. So, I guess that answers your question. We're glad to have you, Ms. Mitsurugi."

Entranced by the beaming, beautiful girl in front of him, he couldn't help but entertain some dark thoughts built up from months living in Nerima surrounded by cute and athletic girls just like Ryoko. _Gods above, I just know that I'm going to regret this sooner or later._

Unnoticed by everyone in the room, Daisaku crept back into the shadowed hallway, clutching the videotape and pictures that he'd taken of Ranma Saotome entering the school, fighting Shizuma, and talking with Ryoko. He wasn't into the extortion or blackmail business, but he had no choice but to let his business contact in Nerima know about the arrival of the person she'd been searching Tokyo for during the last month. If he didn't tell her anything and she found out anyway, which she would eventually, then Daisaku would find himself in debt and blackmail up to his eyeballs long before she got through with him. Running to a nearby phone, Daisaku cursed the day he ever met Nabiki Tendo.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

It was two and a half weeks later that Ryoko found herself walking home late at night, exhausted after a lengthy training session with Ranma and the rest of the club. In under a month, he'd taken a group of about thirty-five average high school students, some of which had no prior martial arts training, and turned them all into skilled warriors. It still amazed her to see the girl from the Flower Arrangement Club hurling hard stemmed roses like throwing darts, the boy from the baseball team weaving a bat around as if it were an actual sword, and the person from the Broadcasting Club swinging a pair of microphones tied together like nunchuku. Even the stronger and more experienced students, like Daichi, Shizuma, and herself were constantly learning new moves and improving drastically. Still, it all paled in comparison to what Ranma himself had shown them.

Ryoko still remembered the first practice for the club, and what Ranma had shown them and spoken with them about, his voice ringing in her memory as if he really were speaking right now.

He'd stood in front of everyone seated in the dojo they were using, testing them with his eyes. "The first thing I'm going to tell you is, throw away all of your preconceived notions about what is and is not possible. Especially you, from the Science and Chemistry Club. Despite what you might think, science does not explain everything. There are forces in the world that are unexplainable, and the human body and spirit is one of those things. In reality, you have no limits."

With that, Ranma started to float inches above the ground as he let his aura loose. Ryoko had seen both Shizuma and Tatsuya manifest a ki aura, but those were like dull embers just barely coming off of the skin. This, this was an inferno, surrounding Ranma in a three foot wide nimbus of energy. Astonished, everybody stared in awe as he reigned the energy in before taking out a water bottle and splashing himself with it, transforming into a busty redheaded girl in front of their eyes. Again, he addressed them, this time in a higher tone of voice. "The second thing I'm going to tell you is, magic and things like it are real. I received this curse that turns me into a girl sometimes while training in China, just one of many sacrafices made for the Art. If you can't accept these things, then the door is on your left."

Nobody moved even an inch towards the door, causing Ranma to grin as he dumped a steaming thermos over his head. "Smart choice. Now let's get to work."

And that was how the past days had gone by. Eventually, the rest of the school learned about Ranma's curse and grew to accept it. Sure, the curse had thrown Ryoko off for a little bit, but she soon realized that Ranma was still the same no matter what body he might be in.As he taught them, Ryoko became increasingly impressed by his skill and strength, but even more so by his compassion and paitence with others. She'd begun to make a habit out of having lots of little conversations with Ranma, asking him lots of questions about places he had seen, how she could improve her skills, and about his past. But while he was polite and answered her questions about the first two topics without hesitation, when it came to himself and his life he'd refuse to tell her anything, almost as if he was afraid to let her into his mind.

Suddenly Ryoko's thoughts fled from her mind as the rudimentary danger sense that Ranma had helped her develop kicked into gear, and she instinctively leapt back from where she was walking in time to see a large, round, and very heavy looking mace come flying at her. Sadly, she'd begun to dodge too late, and while the weapon missed it's intended target of Ryoko's head, it still connected solidly with her shoulder, snapping the bones in it and causing Ryoko to scream in agony. As she lay on the ground, frozen by pain, a young girl in a Chinese dress and with purple hair stepped out of the shadows with a muderous glare on her otherwise pretty face. Walking in front of the prone Ryoko, the other girl lifted another of those enormous maces high above her head and spoke to her intended victim with an icy voice that froze Ryoko to the core. "You is obstacle to airen. Obstacles is for killing."

Then the mace descended, and Ryoko's world faded first to red and then finally to eternal darkness.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Two weeks after the death of Ryoko Mitsurugi, Iwao Saotome stood beside his sister in law Nodoka as they gazed sadly at a small grave in Nerima. On the headstone was the name Ranma Saotome.

When Ryoko's aunt couldn't be found immediately, it was Ranma who'd been asked to come to the morgue to identify the body. But he'd recognized more than just the body of his best student in the Extreme Martial Artists Club, he'd recognized the way she'd been killed. While the shock and grief of Ryoko's death was still fresh at Daimon High School, Ranma disappeared suddenly. A week after that disappearance, the police found the body of a purple haired Chinese girl near Nerima's Cat Cafe, her neck snapped in two. Pinned to her clothing was a note with just a single word, revenge. Two days later, a file was left on the doorsteps of Toyko Police Headquarters, with evidence against one Nabiki Tendo for blackmail and extortion, as well as proving the indirect involvement of her and one Daisaku in the death of Ryoko Mitsurugi by providing the murderer with information about her and her whereabouts. The day after Nabiki and Daisaku were arrested, Ranma reappeared at the Tendo Dojo and confronted his father, Akane, Soun Tendo, Ukyou, Cologne, Ryouga, and Mousse. He told them that he held them all responsible for the death of Ryoko because they wouldn't leave him in peace. When he was done with them, his skills fueled by rage and sorrow, Genma was put into a coma, Cologne was crippled, Mousse lost his right hand, Soun's legs were broken, Ryouga was put in a full body cast and forced to eat nothing but jello through a straw for five months, Ukyou had her nose broken, and Akane would forever bear a scar on her cheek. When he was finished, Ranma pulled out a tanto and said that he was also to blame, because he let Ryoko become involved in his life, and that it was that involvement that ultimately killed her. With that said, Ranma thrust the blade straight into his heart.

It was the day after Ranma's death that his uncle found the teenager's journal. In it, Ranma confessed that he was developing feelings for the beautiful Ryoko, and that if she hadn't been killed then he may have eventually come to love her. As Nodoka walked away from her son's grave, Iwao stood there, looking into the sky before sighing. "I pray you've found peace, nephew."

With that he also turned and walked away, leaving the cemetary quiet and alone.

Author's Notes: Sweet baby Jesus! I was not expecting that when I started writing this, but suddenly the mood struck me to turn this into a dark fic. Please don't lynch me. I'll write an alternate ending in the next story, with lots of fluff and a nice happy ending, promise! Anyway, please review, and check out my other fics, Neo-Saiyans and Batman AC. 'Til next time, ja matta ne minna!


	4. Story 4: The Transfer Student Alternate

**A Ranma by any Other Name**

by Night Hunter MGS

Author notes: Why God? Why did you have to go and totally FUBAR all of my hard, saved work? Hey gang, sorry it's been so long between updates, but as you can probably guess I've been experiencing "technical difficulties", so I've had to write my finished work all over again. Hopefully it's worth my effort and your wait.

Disclaimer: Listen carefully, all you lawyers out there; I. OWN. NOTHING. So scram!

Summary: In the last story of "A Ranma by any Other Name", Ranma met his uncle Iwao, a teacher at Daimon High School, and due to that event met Ryoko Mitsurugi, the "samurai girl". Out of jealousy, Shampoo murdered Ryoko, sending Ranma into a rage in which he killed the purple haired Amazon, got Nabiki and Daisaku thrown in jail, seriously injured the rest of the Nerima Wrecking Crew, and finally killed himself in atonement. This tale is about how the story was supposed to end. We pick up from the last story at a critical moment, where a certain young girl has to make a choice which will have consequences she can barely imagine.

Story 3: The Transfer Student- Alternate Ending

Nabiki Tendo, the true breadwinner of the Tendo family, sighed as she regarded the photograph clenched in her hand. Poor Ranma, he really never had a chance of getting away from her. Daisaku was just one out of dozens of contacts she had throughout the Japanese educational system. No matter what school Ranma went to, she'd have had someone there who'd let her know about it. He couldn't escape her web. She knew where Ranma was now, and that information could be sold for top price.

Normally, Nabiki wouldn't hesitate to sell Ranma out. But the picture she was holding gave her pause. In it, Ranma was talking to a beautiful, athletic looking girl that Daisaku had identified in his report as Ryoko Mitsurugi, the top fighter and idol of Daimon High School. According to her research, Ryoko was a first class kendoist who was lightyears ahead of Akane and Kuno in terms of skill, speed, power, control, and commitment. Ryoko was possibly even a little better than Kodachi and Ukyou, but no match for Shampoo or the others. She was also very much involved in other activities, was a model student, and although reports indicated that she wasn't that good of a cook at least she wasn't deluded about her abilities like Akane was and had a fair control over her temper. But what really struck Nabiki was how the girl appeared in the photograph, talking to Ranma. She was smiling at Ranma, a genuine smile without any sort of plotting or scheming behind it, a smile that said that she respected Ranma as a person, that she trusted him, that she believed in him. Nabiki had never seen any of the other girls ever smile at Ranma like that, they were all too concerned with what they could get out of the pigtailed boy.

Closing her eyes, she remembered the time when the engagement had been transferred over to her. Sure, she took advantage of Ranma during that time, but... he never complained. He'd done his best to protect her, to make her happy, despite what she was doing to him. It was around that time that she finally understood just how special Ranma really was. If it hadn't been for Akane, she actually might have tried to make it work between the two of them, but she'd believed that Akane loved Ranma and she wasn't willing to sacrafice her little sister's happiness for the remote possibility of a relationchip with Ranma. But now she could see that despite what they believed, none of the girls, Akane included, truly loved Ranma for who he was; they loved what he represented and what winning his heart could do for them. And she had also realized that deep down, Ranma knew that they didn't really love him, but still he tried to make all of them happy at his own expense. Her eyes opened and once again she looked at the picture, this time focusing on Ranma. There wasn't any strain in his eyes, no lines of worry across his brow, only a content grin that she'd never seen him wear in Nerima. She could tell that his happiness, his peace, was not faked like it had been here.

Without another thought, she tore the picture in two and threw it into the waste basket. For once in her life, she was going to do the decent thing and let him have some of the happiness that had been denied to him for so long. Looking out the window towards the direction of Daimon High, the Ice Queen let a single tear roll down her cheek as she whispered out a heartfelt wish. "Be happy, Ranma. Be happy."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months as time passed at Daimon High. It had been just over five months since the school year started and the martial artist known as Ranma Saotome had been unleashed upon the student body. In that time, the Extreme Martial Artists Club had grown and matured into the true power at the school.

Ranma smirked as he saw some of the more violent troublemakers cringe out of his path as he walked through the halls. Taking the advice of Ryoko, Daichi, and his uncle, he'd organized the club into an unofficial disciplinary unit. People who tried to cheat at K-Fights, bullies who terrorized the less martially able students with their skills, and punks who threatened the members of the teaching staff who couldn't defend themselves would find themselves on the wrong side of the EMA's fists, feet, and weapons. At first he'd been worried about taking matters into their own hands, but Principal Todo had been ecstatic about his initiative. It really made him want to laugh; the same things that got him into trouble at Furinkan made him the most popular student and teacher's pet here at Daimon. He coucld freely admit now that he loved it here, and that he wouldn't leave the new life that he had found for anything.

Sadly, in the life of one Ranma Saotome, the peaceful times never last.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Daisaku was practically skipping on his way home from school. He'd felt certain that Nabiki Tendo was going to start trouble once she learned about Ranma attending Daimon, but instead she made him promise to try and keep Ranma out of too much trouble and cancelled all of his debts. It was then that the junior papparazzi was given a clue about how special Ranma was, if the infamous Ice Queen herself didn't want to intrude upon his new life. He started to follow Ranma just like he followed Ryoko, and he wasn't disappointed with what he saw. The curse and his unbelievable skill in the martial arts was enough to make Ranma interesting, but the different facets of the pigtailed boy's personality, like those of a shining diamond, kept his interest. After a few weeks of following Ranma around, the martial artist made him a deal; if Daisaku stopped following him like that, then Ranma would take him on as a student. Dasiaku had yet to regret accepting that offer. Ranma taught him everything that he'd learned from Nabiki's photographing, videotaping, and intelligence gathering techniques as well as some basic ninjitsu. Now, Daisaku could hang upside down outside of a window and videotape the people inside without them ever noticing him although he'd also learned to use restraint in his activities, and it was all thanks to Ranma. Anyone could see that Daisaku looked up to Ranma as a role model, a mentor, a friend, and even as a sort of big brother.

Suddenly the small boy was wrenched out of his thoughts by a rough hand grabbing the front of his shirt and lifting him off of his feet. Struggling in his captor's grasp, the first thing that Daisaku noticed was the unruly black hair held back by a tiger striped bandanna. The next thing he noticed was the fangs protruding from his assailant's mouth as his teeth ground together in anger. But what caught his gaze and held it, what sent unbridled terror coursing through his body, were the eyes, burning fiercely with hatred and psychotic rage. The boy who'd grabbed him growled lowly, then brought Daisaku's face up to his own. "Where is Ranma Saotome?"

Daisaku's terror was quickly skyrocketing. Who was this monster? Why was he looking for Daisaku's friend and teacher? "W-wh-wh-why a-a-ar-are y-you l-l-looking f-f-f-f-for R-r-r-r-ran-ranma? W-who, who are y-y-y-you?"

A grin of evil triumph spread across the boy's face as he glared at the cringing boy. "Ranma? You know him personally? So he is in this area! Bwahahaha! Yes! Finally Ranma, I'm going to find you, and this time you will die for all you've done!"

Hearing those words, disbelief warred with Daisaku's fear. "Y-you're going to... k-k-kill him?!"

Pride and anticipation shone on the stranger's face. "Yes, I'm going to kill him! I won't stop until Ranma Saotome lies dead before my feet and everything he loves is destroyed!"

And with that, Daisaku was no longer afraid. He had been taught many things by Ranma, and not all of them dealing with the physical arts. Ranma had strengthened and polished Daisaku's spirit, and installed the principles of a true martial artist within him. He had taught the weaker boy that no matter how strong or weak they were, a martial artist defended the things and people who were valuable to him or herself, with their life if nescessary. Determination flooded his veins, and the young boy screamed out in anger as he pulled a tanto from a hidden sheath in his sleeve. His training had focused upon stealth rather than combat, but he'd still been taught how to fight as a ninja. The blade slashed across the insane boy's arm, drawing a thin line of blood and forcing him to let Daisaku go. Springing away from his opponent, Daisaku took a defensive stance and pulled out a handful of shuriken from his pocket. "I will not let you go after Ranma. You will have to beat me first."

A growl of rage thundered through the boy's throat as he unlimbered the umbrella strapped to his backpack. "Then your broken body will be my message to Ranma, that I'm here and that I mean business."

And with that the hulking behemoth lunged towards his slender victim.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Two blurs, one red and one black, zoomed through the hospital doors and before the nurse on duty knew what was happening, a couple of teenaged boys with panic clearly written on their faces were clutching at the desk in front of her as they both spoke at once. "WHERE'S DAISAKU KAMIYA?!"

The poor woman instantly proceeded to set a world record for finding a particular hospital file. In under a second, her trembling hands held a folder with Daisaku's name printed on the side. "H-he's just be-been released from Emergency Surgery. He's in the Intensive Care Unit, on the fifth level. Room 517A. Access is restricted..."

But the two boys didn't hear the last part, they were running for the nearest stairwell as soon as they heard what room their friend was in. They ran straight up the five flights of stairs and into the ICU, stopping only when a uniformed police officer set himself in their path. "Whoa boys, only family and a few select people are allowed to see this patient."

The boy with the pigtail instantly stepped forward, his eyes pleading. "Please, we're some of Daisaku's friends. My name is Ranma Saotome, and this is Shizuma Kusanagi. Please, he's our friend, we need to see him."

The officer stared at Ranma in surprise, waving to a previously unnoticed group of policemen standing in the corner to come over. "You say you're Ranma Saotome?"

Ranma had barely nodded in acknowledgement before the officer was practically shoving him and Shizuma through the door into the hospital room, the other police officers moving to stand between the occupants of the room and the rest of the hospital with hands on their weapons. The boys were about to protest the rough treatment, but the sight that greeted their eyes left them numb. A couple of adults whose features resembled Daisaku's, obviously long married by the way they held each others hands to comfort one another and the matching wedding bands on their ring fingers, were sitting next to a hospital bed, their faces stoic and composed save for the tears that streamed unchecked from their red and puffy eyes. In the corner, Hitomi was weeping with her face cradled in her hands, Ryoko sitting next to her utterly frozen in shock and disbelief. And lying there on the bed, right in the middle of all the chaos and confusion, was Daisaku.

Ranma walked towards his friend slowly, his gaze unfoused and his body staggering slightly. Bruises and cuts covered Daisaku's face, his eyes swollen shut and his nose shattered. His head had been shaved and wrapped tightly in gauze and medical tape. A neck brace supported his small neck and dozens of wires and tubes protruded from various spots, monitoring his condition and pumping blood, nutrients, and air into his broken body. And as for the rest of his body, it was completely covered in casts and bandages. When he'd heard that Daisaku was in the hospital, Ranma knew that something bad must have happened to him, but he could have never imagined something like this in his darkest nightmares. The cop that had escorted them in leaned in closely and whispered into Ranma's ear. "He was found in the streets by Miss Hitomi over there. His arms and legs were broken or shattered in several places, his skull suffered a hairline fracture, several ribs were broken or snapped, one of the ribs punctured his left lung, the stomach and a kidney were ruptured, there were half a dozen serious gashes on his torso, internal bleeding, and untold bruises, scrapes, and cuts. I tell you, whoever did this to the kid must have been some kind of sadist or something. He's been unconscious since they brought him into surgery, but before that he kept screaming something about finding Ranma, that he had to warn Ranma. After we interviewed Miss Hitomi and later Miss Ryoko, we concluded that he was referring to his friend, Ranma Saotome. That's why I let you in when I heard your name."

The pigtialed boy just nodded numbly, his eyes riveted on Daisaku's body. Suddenly the injured boy's eyes snapped open, and they instantly landed on Ranma. His voice distorted by weakness, pain, and the breathing tube inserted into his ruined nostrils, Daisaku croaked out a desperate warning to Ranma. "Ranma... must... run... he's... monster... couldn't stop him... want's to... kill you... Run, Ranma... run... he's coming... kill... you... kill... kill... he's... coming... coming... can't... be stopped... coming..."

Faster than the eye could move, Ranma was by Daisaku's side, grasping the smaller boy's hand tightly. "Who, Daisaku? Who's coming to kill me? Who did this to you?"

Eyelids fluttering, Daisaku struggled to stay awake, to warn Ranma of just what sort of monstrosity was after him. "Hand... shattered when I... hit him... felt like punching rock... Made ground... blow up... just by touching it with his finger... Used cloth... belt... bandannas... like blades... cut right through streetlights... Bandannas... colored... patterned... like Shizuma's... Fangs too... Backpack... umbrella... weigh a ton... strong as an ogre... can't beat him... want's to kill you... says you ruined life... you must... run, run away, Ranma..."

With his final plea for Ranma to take flight, Daisaku lapsed back into unconsciousness. Standing stiffly, Ranma's face was totally blank as he addressed his friends. "Shizuma, call Daichi, I want the two of you keeping watch over Daisaku. Ryoko, take Hitomi to stay with you at your aunt's for a few days, and call the rest of the club members, let them know to stay at home and not to go outside for awhile. If anybody has to leave their home for something, tell them to call some other club members, and to stay in groups of at least four club members each, alright?"

Turning to leave, Ranma was stopped once again by the police officer that let him and Shizuma in. "Wait just a second boy! It sounds to me like you know who did this!"

A light push shoved the officer out of Ranma's way, and he walked towards the door. "Stay out of this, you won't be able to handle it."

Staring in at Ranma's cold visage in shock, Ryoko whispered a question. "Ranma... what are you going to do?"

His eyes met hers, and for a second she could see a flash of intense pain in his ice blue orbs. "I'm going to finish something that started long ago."

Then he turned and strode out of the deathly silent room, grim purpose radiating off of his body like an aura of doom.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Out in the woods, a lone figure sat huddled in front of a campfire. Somewhere behind him, there was a sharp crack as a twig snapped. Not turning around to face the intruder upon his solitude, the person spoke out into the dark, night filled treeline. "So, I take it you got my little 'message', eh Ranma?"

Emerging from the forest like a wraith, Ranma slowly glided towards his quarry. "I was somehow able to track you from the place where Daisaku was attacked. You nearly killed him, Ryouga. He'll be lucky if he can walk again, or if he can even use his arms and hands."

Now the figure did turn, showing the psychotic visage of Ryouga Hiniki as he stood to face his great enemy. "The brat actually had the nerve to try and defend somebody like you, Ranma. He deserved everything he got."

Cold fury sparked in Ranma's eyes as he sent a death glare at Ryouga, anger pulsing off of him in waves. "I never really took you seriously, Ryouga. I always thought that the death threats, the attempts to kill me, that it was all just one big joke. But it wasn't, you were always deadly serious, weren't you, serious enough to hurt someone much weaker than you so badly that they might possibly be crippled for life. Yes, I never thought that you were a real threat, and for that ignorance I'm as guiltly as you for Daisaku being in the hospital. I'm guilty because I didn't put you down long before this happened. I'm here to rectify that mistake."

Ryouga's answer was a feral snarl. "Fine, I'll finally have my fight with you, coward!"

Ranma never flinched, he just stared murderously at the boy he'd once called friend, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails were beginning to draw blood from his palms. "You don't understand, Ryouga. This isn't another fight. This is judgement."

The bandanna clad fighter never saw Ranma move, he was just suddenly right in front of him, his outstretched fist sending him sprawling to the ground. Ryouga roared in fury and struggled to stand again, but a swift and brutal kick from Ranma snapped his kneecaps like brittle noodles and he fell back to the ground. Ranma was standing over him again, this time holding a tanto, the very knife that Daisaku had tried to defend himself with. Seeing the coldness of Ranma's expression, the icy tones of his voice, the glacier coolness of his eyes, Ryouga felt afraid for possibly the first time in his life. Ranma looked down at him, like he was looking down on some sort of loathsome insect, or a rabid dog, and spoke with a voice capable of freezing the blood in a person's veins and sapping all warmth from their heart. "You just don't get it, boy. This isn't a fighting ground, it's an operating table. And I'm the surgeon."

Then he bent down to his gruesome but nescessary work, and the forest resounded with terrified screams of pain for the next half hour.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Ryoko was awoken from her restless sleep by a soft tapping at her window pane. Padding over to the window, she parted the curtains to reveal the tired visage of Ranma Saotome, his shirt and hands spattered with blood. In an instant, Ryoko had the window open, dragged the boy inside, and was patting down every inch of his body in search of injuries. "Ranma! What happened?! Are you alright?! You're covered in blood!"

She was frozen by his dead, emotionless voice as he responded to her queries. "Don't worry about me, it's not my blood."

He pulled away from her and stood in front of the window again, his back turned to her. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving, Ryoko. I don't know where I'll go, but I can't stay. I can't put all of you at Daimon in danger anymore. Daisaku might be stuck in a hospital bed for the rest of his life because he became close to me. Next time it might be Tamaki from the journalism club, one of the other Extreme Martial Artist Club members, a student not even in the club, my uncle, Daichi, Shizuma, or even... you. I'll die before I see that happen, Ryoko. I'm leaving you in charge of the club. Goodbye."

Just as he was about to spring back out into the night, he felt two strong but definitely feminine arms wrap around his waist, and the pleasant pressure of the well figured Ryoko leaning her body into his back. Her voice was a soft, gentle whisper, a quiet plea sent out to touch Ranma's troubled heart. "When you first met me, I was crying. I was crying because the boy that I loved had gone away, and I couldn't be a part of his life anymore. That loss nearly broke me. Every night for over a month, I cried myself to sleep, afraid that I would dream of him, and that the pain would only get worse when I woke up because all it could ever be was a dream. And then... you came. You dried away my tears, made me smile, made me laugh again. From the instant I met you, I thought how similar you were to Tatsuya, your strength, commitment, and kindness. When I was around you, the pain just went away little by little, because I could so easily compare you to Tatsuya. And then, somewhere along the line, I realized that I wasn't comparing you to Tatsuya anymore, but was comparing Tatsuya to you. Somehow, you'd slowly taken his place in my heart, and filled it better than he ever did. I never said anything, because I was afraid, but I'm not afraid anymore. I can't possibly be afraid as long as you're there. I love you Ranma, so please, no matter what, don't leave me."

There was slience between them for a moment, before Ranma spoke again, his voice strained. "Don't say that, Ryoko. You can't possibly love me. You don't even know anything about me."

Again, she rebuted him. "I know enough. I know what sort of man you are. I know about your present, I know about what you hope for the future. You might have never told me about your past, but what does the past matter? It's in the past after all, and has less grip on the present than you might imagine. I don't need to see your history Ranma, I've seen your heart, and in that heart resides a man that I can respect and love for as long as I live."

Now, his shoulders began to shake, his voice beginning to waver ever so slightly. "What about the curse? How can you love a freak?"

"Ranma, I don't love your body, I love you, the true you that can never be changed by either hot or cold water."

"B-but... but... if I t-tell you... if I tell you everything, if you really knew, then you'd hate me."

"Ranma, what did I say? The past doesn't matter, what you've done doesn't matter, over the months I've gotten to know the true you, and I love you."

Those last words finally completed the job, and Ranma broke down weeping softly, his body slumping against Ryoko. Gently, she guided him to her bed and got him to sit down on it. She remembered how he'd rescued her soul from despair months ago, now she would do the same for him. Easing his mussed hair away from his brow, she whispered to him, softly, soothingly. "Now, tell me what happened."

And he did. "The guy who hurt Daisaku... He was an old sparring partner, I thought he was my friend. But all this time, he really has been trying to kill me, to destroy my happiness. I think... I think that in the end, his obsession with beating me drove him insane. I couldn't imagine Ryouga doing something like what he did to Daisaku... but he did. I hunted him down, and... I made sure he'll never hurt anyone again. I pinned him to the ground, I took Daisaku's knife, and I... I... I sliced the tendons in his legs... his arms... his hands... He'll recover eventually, with the help of a lot of good doctors, but... He'll... He'll never... never be able to practice the Art, ever again. The thing that mattered most in his life, in my life, and I took it away from him. It would have been kinder if I'd just killed him. I destroyed him, Ryoko... my own friend... I... I destroyed him..."

Ryoko felt a cold dread squeeze her heart as she watched Ranma sob into his hands. No wonder he was so distraught, what he'd done had been cruel, calculated, brutal... and absolutely nescessary. She could see it clearly now, looking at him. He held himself responsible for it all, for Daisaku being hurt, for not being able to find another way to stop his former friend, for everything. Some at Daimon had accused Ranma of not caring about others, but the stark truth that was revealed to Ryoko was that he really cared too much. He cared enough to hold himself responsible for everyone's happiness, to sacrafice his own soul for the good of others. And this realization made her love him even more. Tenderly, she held him to her, lending him comfort. "It wasn't your fault, Ranma. You did what you had to, no more and no less. If you'd been looking for revenge, you'd have killed him."

Fresh sobs broke out now and he looked at her with pain etched into his face. "You say that like I've never killed before, Ryoko. You're wrong; I have. I have killed."

Again, she was stunned. Ranma, a killer? No, it couldn't be... despite his tough guy facade he was far too gentle to cause harm to someone if it could be avoided. Ignoring her now, he rambled on, his eyes staring out into space. "His name was Saffron, ruler of the Phoenix people of Mount Phoenix, in China. We went poking around in his territory, looking for a cure to the curse, and he got angry. He hit somebody close to me with a curse that was killing them, and the only cure was the magical waters of healing guarded by his people. He stood between me and the water I needed, and I ripped him in two. Saffron was the leader, the guide, the heart and soul of his people. Without him the entire tribe could be destroyed. Fortunately, he was a true phoenix, and was reborn, but that doesn't change the fact that I killed him, and that it has threatened an entire race of people. How can I possibly be forgiven for that?"

Ryoko's heart welled with pity, respect, and love for him. He cared so much, even about his enemies. This, this was the heart of a true samurai, the very thing she longed to be. Gently, she whispered into his ear as she rocked his body back and forth, words spilling forth not from her mind but from the very core of her being. "Ranma, once again, you did what was nescessary. What Saffron did was cold, calculated, and some might consider it to be downright evil. Was there malice in your heart when you struck Saffron down? No, I know you better than that. I know that you regretted it from the moment you knew that you had to kill him to save others. And to spare others the pain of dealing with your confused, angry, painful feelings and troubled mind, you kept it to yourself and let your pain fester, all for the good of others, never for your own benefit. And that's why I've come to love you, Ranma."

She brought her lips up close to his, but he turned away, still racked by turmoil and grief. "Don't, Ryoko. Please, please don't. I... I can't love you."

In that instant, Ryoko's heart was shattered more than Tatsuya's goodbye could have ever accomplished. She knew that she was truly and honestly in love with this boy, this boy that had bared his soul to her, and he didn't love her. She wanted to run away crying, but somehow, her inner strength once again came through, and she was able to ask a simple question through her tears. "Why?"

Now it was Ranma that embraced her, that tried to give her some comfort. "Ryoko, you say the past doesn't matter, but it does. It matters so terribly much. My father engaged me to the daughter of a friend of his before the two of us were even born. Later, he engaged me to my childhood best friend, a girl named Ukyou. And when I was in China, I accidentally got engaged to a village girl named Shampoo, not to mention all the other girls that want a piece of me. And most of them would try to kill you if they thought that I'd fallen in love with you or if you loved me. Honor demands I marry one of them. So I can't love you, Ryoko."

"Ranma... those girls... do you love them?"

Silence met her whispered, tearful question for a long moment, before he answered. "No, I don't. Some I consider friends, but I could never love them. And despite what they might think, I know that they don't really love me, the true me, either."

Ryoko looked up into his eyes, her cheeks lined by tears. "But you'd marry them?"

"Honor demands it."

She buried her face into his chest and cried. "But how can there be honor if you're not true to your feelings?! Ranma, please, for yourself if not for me!"

Again, there was silence, then he began to talk, his voice a whisper. "Six months ago, I was at the end of my rope. I'd done everything I could think of to keep everyone's honor intact, to make everybody happy, but it hadn't done any good at all. One day, I found myself honestly thinking about seppeku, as the only honorable way out of the mess my life had become. But then my mother came and told me that I'd be living with my uncle for awhile. When I was away from Nerima, I was able to feel hope again. I learned so much from Uncle Iwao in just a short amount of time, and it made me into a better person. Then, on my way to the first day of school, I saw a beautiful young woman in an alley, crying by herself. If Nerima had taught me anything, it was that no good ever came from helping a crying girl. But I couldn't stop myself, something pulled me towards her. When I saw her smile for the first time, I knew that I'd do anything to be able to see that beautiful smile again. Then, she showed up to become part of the club I was forming, and when she smiled again I knew I was hooked. Despite knowing that I shouldn't, I found myself falling in love with her. She trusted me, she believed in me, she treated me with kindness, consideration, and respect. And I knew that she could never possibly love me, so when I heard her say just now that she did, I couldn't believe it."

Now he took her chin in his hand and raised her face to look into his. "But it's true, isn't it? You really do love me, and I love you. And nothing will change that."

This time it was Ranma who brought their lips together, and Ryoko responded with all the joy in her heart. Two lonely souls had finally found comfort in each other.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Madoka Mitsurugi, Ryoko's aunt, was worried. She'd spent the night trying to calm Hitomi down before she was finally forced to give the poor girl a sedative, so she hadn't had a chance to talk to Ryoko and calm her mind over what happened to Daisaku. Now, it was nearly noon, and the normally early rising girl was apparently still in bed. Madoka was about to knock on the door and see if Ryoko was alright, when the door opened and Ryoko walked out yawning, clothed only in a silk Chinese shirt. Immediately, warning signals began ringing in her brain. Ryoko didn't own any shirts like that, and it was so baggy that it just had to be a boy's shirt. Her thoughts were confirmed when a young boy wearing only black pants exited the door as well to stand next to the equally sleepy Ryoko, and he reached out to hold Ryoko's hand in the manner shared by lovers across the world. It was at that moment that the two of them finally noticed her, and they both went as red as a beet.

"A-aunt Madoka, this isn't really what it..."

"Er, hello ma'am... I'm... well, uh..."

Their stuttered explanations stopped suddenly as Madoka let out a whoop of delight and started dancing around with a pair of victory fans that appeared out of nowhere. "Waaaahaa! My neice is so womanly!"

Ryoko firmly planted her face in the floor as Ranma looked on in shock, a sweatdrop running down the back of his skull. "Whoa, deja vu. I wonder if she knows mom?"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

When he looked at his therapist's eyes, Daisaku felt hope that today would be the day. For nearly two years, he'd struggled night and day, despair threatening to consume him, but he'd never given up. Of course, he could never have come so far without Ranma and his friends in the Extreme Martial Artists Club. They'd started up a charity that helped to pay the medical bills of injured martial artists, rasing money through various fundraisers and martial arts tournaments, and Daisaku had been their very first charity case. With the charity money and other donations, Daisaku's parents were able to afford the best doctors in Japan, and within a year his injuries had healed and he'd become as strong as he ever was, except for his legs.

Even after all of the surgeries and all of the therapy he'd gone through, he remained bound to a wheelchair, his legs too magled to move. Everyone said that it was hopeless, that he'd never walk again, but Ranma and the others kept looking for a way. Finally, two months ago, Ranma found a surgeon whose medical skills were legendary, a surgeon who'd been reported to easily pull off feats that other doctors wouldn't dare to attempt. The only problem was money. The surgeon wouldn't work for any less than five million yen, a small fortune. Once again, Daisaku's friends pulled through for him. They entered every major martial arts tournament in Japan with large cash prizes, and some of them even entered illegal pit fights where people gambled thousands of yen on their favorite fighters and the winners of the matches were paid enormous amounts of money for their participation. In just over a month, they'd managed to successfully raise the needed money. The doctor, a man who simply called himself Blackjack, began the operation as soon as his fee was ready. Several other surgeries took place, repairing the damage to his legs little by little, with the last surgical procedure finishing two days ago. Now, it was time to see if Blackjack was as good as they said he was.

Looking to the side, he saw Ranma and Ryoko standing together hand in hand, Hitomi with her hands clasped in silent prayer, Shizuma and Daichi looking on in excitement, and his parents with hope sparkling in their eyes. They were all with him, all of them lending him their strength, giving him their support. How could he possibly fail? Lifting himself out of the chair with arms strengthened by constant use, Daisaku put first one foot on the ground, then the other. Determined, he let go of the chair's support and took a step forward, then another, and another, and before he knew it he was nearly sprinting across the room towards his mother, arms spread wide. Holding his mother close in his arms, Daisaku was once again reminded of what a special person Ranma Saotome was. After all, he'd helped make a miracle happen.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Nabiki sat in her office, secure in her role as CEO for a major technology business. As she sat, she reflected on the changes that had occurred in Nerima over the past few years. Kasumi, frustrated and alone, had finally left the house, hunted down Dr. Tofu, and pulled him into a shotgun wedding; literally, she had a pump action automatic shotgun trained on him the whole time. Nabiki had to hand it to her older sister, she really hadn't seen that one coming. Apparently, the threat of violence had been all that was nescessary to snap Tofu out of his love induced delerium, and the two of them were very happy together. Akane's story wasn't quite as fortunate however. One night Kuno had invited Soun over for dinner, gotten him really drunk, and then offered him ten million yen to arrange an engagement between him and Akane. Considering the pillar of strength and sensibility that Soun Tendo was, it didn't surprise anyone when he agreed despite Akane's engagement to Ranma. Since Ranma hadn't been anywhere to be found, Akane was forced to marry Kuno. After a year of "wedded bliss", the youngest Tendo fled to America and got a job as a waitress there. After "losing" his daughters, Soun became a wreck who couldn't do anything but drink and sleep all day. Genma continued searching all over Japan for Ranma, until he finally slipped up in one of his cases of petty theft and was arrested. Once Genma's full criminal past came to light, Nodoka divorced him and went to live with his brother Iwao, who also disowned Genma as a disgrace to the Saotome name. With Genma behind bars, Ukyou's father decided that revenge against the Saotomes had been achieved, and told Ukyou to return home, as a girl. The Amazons also never stopped searching for Ranma, until Nabiki finally called immigration services and had them deported as illegal aliens. As for Kodaichi, like Genma she searched everywhere for Ranma, and was also finally arrested and placed in an insane asylum. Finally, Ryouga appeared in Nerima, hospitalized due to severe muscle and nerve trauma, a trauma so severe that he had total and complete amnesia about what happened to him. And while he could walk and use his arms and hands without difficulty, if he did anything physical besides normal, everyday activity then he risked reinjuring himself beyond all recovery. For Ryouga, his martial artist days were in the past. As she was thinking about the rest of the Nerima Wrecking Crew, her thoughts naturally turned to Ranma. She hadn't heard anything about him for years, the last thing she'd heard about him was a rumor that he was dating Ryoko Mitsurugi, and she'd heard that four years ago. It had been such a long time, he'd be out of college by now.

A knock on the door startled Nabiki out of her thoughts, and her secretary came in with a plain white envelope. Opening it, Nabiki scanned the contents of the letter and grinned broadly. It was nice to know that the first unselfish, right thing that she'd done since her mother died was now bearing fruit years later. In the envelope was a single piece of stationary. On it was carefully printed just over a dozen words, a dozen words that spoke volumes to Nabiki. Similing happily, she let a joyful tear creep out of her eye as she read the invitation out loud. "You are cordially invited to the wedding of Ranma Saotome and Ryoko Mitsurugi."

End of Story 3- Alternate Ending

Author notes: Yatta! It's finished, it's finished! Considering the response I got for the original story, I knew that I had to make this one just as great if not better. I wrote several drafts of this story, all of which were tragically lost due to data corruption. Also, it's been impossible to get online to post anything lately since the internet has been acting up and my access to it has been heavily restricted. In the next story, Ranma gets adopted by the most feared individual in the known universe; the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Be sure to read it!


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